Paradise
by Sybil Rowan
Summary: After Finny and Snake start a romance it's revealed that Finny's life is shortened because of the chemicals he had been exposed to by the scientists. Snake and the others go on a quest to find someone to help cure him. However, the man that could do that is a fugitive and protected by four clockwork cyborgs. This is a companion piece to The Tight Spot and Mellow Candle.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Paradise

Author: Sybil Rowan

Summary: After Finny and Snake start a romance it's revealed that Finny's life is shortened because of the chemicals he had been exposed to by the scientists. Snake and the others go on a quest to find someone to help cure him. However, the man that could do that is a fugitive and protected by four clockwork cyborgs. This is a companion piece to The Tight Spot and Mellow Candle.

Pairing(s)/Characters: Bard, Mey-rin, and Finny in friendship; Finny/Snake; also, if your familiar with Cyborg 009 there will be Albert/Jet in the background

Rating: M

Warnings: memories of horrible child abuse, some language, not terribly graphic, but can strike a chord, some mentions of sexual abuse against Finny from my fic, The Tight Spot.

Author's Notes: I recommend reading "The Tight Spot" and "Mellow Candle" first, but I'm going to try to make this a standalone piece. I just love Finny, Bard, and Mey-rin... that trio is way too fun! This is a blend of the anime and manga. Also, BE FOREWARNED, I'm using characters from Cyborg 009; it's not a cross-over really, though. I've written Cyborg 009 for years, so I'm comfortable with them. I'm using my "Young Offenders" story version of these characters in this story, so they're a bit more testy with each other. This story named after a New Order song.

Disclaimer: Black Butler is owned by Yana Tobosu. Cyborg 009 characters are owned by Shotaro Ishinomori's estate.

Beta Reader: WingedPanther73, of course.

Date: August 8, 2014- 9:28pm

Word Count: on going

Paradise, part one

Will T. Spears looked up from his desk and scowled when Grell's shadow fell across his paperwork. He looked up and repressed a sigh. Grell was flashing Will one of those sly smiles he never trusted. The redhead said in his most lecherous tone, "So, you wanted to see me, Will?"

Will pushed his glasses to the bridge of his nose and said, "Yes. It would seem you've been hanging around someone that is persona-non-grata among grim reapers."

"Aww," Grell pouted, "You aren't referring to that delicious Sebby, are you?"

"No," Will said blandly, covering how pissed off he really was at the demon butler over that whole Noah's Ark Circus fiasco. He never wanted to look at that smug demon's face again. He wished Sebastian would hurry up and consume his contracted person, already, and pack off for Hades.

Sebastian Michaelis always seemed to interfere in grim reaper affairs, and he was a major distraction to Grell. Demons weren't known to keep a contract going this long. He shook his head and got back to the subject of their meeting. Will said, "No. I'm talking about Adrian Crevan."

"Name doesn't ring a bell." Grell batted his eyes. "Is he tall, dark haired, and built?"

"He goes by a different name, or rather, title. He's known as the Undertaker now."

Will had known Grell a long time. He noticed the slightest drop to Grell's smile; the redhead was making an effort to not show his hand. Grell waved his hand in the air. "Oh, him? He's just someone I used to know."

"Really?" Will picked up his investigation book, flipped to Grell's massive section, and said, "You've visited him every weekend for the past two months."

"Will, are you spying on me?" Grell accused with an angry pout.

"That is my job. Now, stop playing around. You know him don't you?"

Grell sighed and admitted, "He's a friend."

"And you are aware he is a grim reaper?"

"I have my suspicions," Grell admitted weakly. Will gave him a sharp, accusing glare. Grell then burst out, "Okay, okay! I saw his eyes a few weeks ago. He doesn't wear his glasses all the time and has bushy bangs, so I didn't figure it out at first. He gets around blind, mostly."

"So did he tell you he retired abruptly, leaving some souls in need of reaping?"

Grell's face fell. Now he looked surprised. Maybe Grell would be honest. "No, he didn't tell me that. I haven't even seen his book or scythe."

"If you had seen his book, you'd see four, pink bookmarks. He halted the reaping on those people. They were due to die four decades ago. That's when he left our service. Recently, a new name appeared in his book."

"Wait? I thought death reaper's books no longer accepted names if they left the service." Then Grell got thoughtful. After all, Grell had graduated at the top of their class; he was no dummy. "That is, unless the man who is due to be reaped has a cinematic record deeply tied with the four the Undertaker halted. That means the man appeared in the Undertaker's book because his life was too involved with the other four. He's obligated to reap that soul, even if he's retired."

"Yes. Since you've been fraternizing with Crevan, you need to go urge him to finish reaping all five souls left in his book, so his book can be halted, or you need to claim his book and scythe and reap the five yourself."

Grell crossed his arms with a slight frown. "I'll go talk with him, but I don't think he'll listen."

"You have your assignment," Will said firmly. Grell swirled and gave a wave over his shoulder before walking out of Will's office.

* * *

"Oh wow! This is going to be so great!" Finny said, after he finished stabilizing the evergreen in the main hall of Phantomhive manner. He turned to Snake and said, "This is my third Christmas. I love them! The trees, the music, the food, it's all so good."

Finny noticed Snake's face took on a slight frown. He grew concerned, because Snake seemed to get more withdrawn. Finny asked, "Didn't you have Christmas at the circus? I mean... I didn't have Christmas either, until I came here, so it's okay if you didn't either."

Snake said, "Well, we would gather on Christmas Eve and have a nice meal. Kelvin would gather us together on Christmas morning and give us very expensive gifts. That was usually it."

Finny never really heard Snake talk about Lord Kelvin too much, but when he did it was always in dower tones. "Oh? So did you keep anything? You only came here with a trunk of costumes and a few books."

"No. I always threw out what he gave me the moment his eyes left me. I never wanted to have any ties to him. I only brought with me the things that meant something to me."

Finny repressed the wave of pity he felt towards his lover and smiled. "Well, this Christmas will be wonderful." Finny then grew bashful. "I got something for you. I really hope you like it."

Snake's face fell and he said, "I've got to go!"

"What? I didn't know you had a job."

"There is something I have to do! Now!" Snake snapped suddenly and bolted from the room, looking ashen. Finny cocked his head to one side in bafflement. He finally shrugged and started decorating the Christmas tree.

* * *

Ivan looked around at his other four companions in the horse drawn carriage. He refrained from reading their minds. They were all in their own states of agitation. They had barely fled Germany without being captured, again.

It was Albert that gave Ivan a steely look. The man was older and had guided them with extreme wisdom through some harrowing times. Ivan didn't miss the weary slump to his shoulders, though.

"We're not ready, yet, to face the Black Ghost. But one day, we will destroy them," Ivan announced, knowing he was mimicking Albert's dark thoughts without his telepathy. After all, how many decades had they all been traveling together? Ivan had lost track and couldn't care anymore.

"I'm ready to face them! I'm not coward," Jet snarled, raising his head from where it had rested against Albert's shoulder. "It's time to get rid of them!"

"We were beat last time because of your recklessness! After all this time, I thought you'd learn!" Francoise snapped, her hands were clenched and she looked moments away from tears.

Jet glared and her and leaned over into her face. "Listen, you little fool, you can't blame me for all that! I kept my cover!"

"You idiot! You're one to talk you pig-headed..."

"Silence!" Albert ordered the two antagonists. "I refuse to sit through another of your fights. After all these decades, it's as if neither of you aged a bit." True indeed, their appearances were the same. Albert was left at thirty and Ivan at fourteen. Francoise and Jet's lives were halted in their late teenage years, not quite hitting twenty.

"You should take my side," Jet protested. Ivan knew this was Jet trying to use his unfair advantage of being Albert's lover over Francoise.

However, as usual, Albert glared at him and said, "When you're in the wrong, I won't support you."

"Where are we anyway?" Jet snapped and started sulking.

"We're almost to Cambridge," the oldest appearing man among them spoke up. Ivan looked over to his side as Doctor Gilmore set aside his newspaper. He wasn't a clockwork cyborg like them, so he was somewhere in his sixties now. Maybe even seventies? Ivan couldn't keep track of the Doctor's age, either.

Ivan found his mind was changing, now. His sense of time and space were leaving. He perceived those things in a different way. He hadn't shared this with his companions yet, but he would have to soon. It was starting to affect his abilities. Who knew what that butcher, his own father, had done to his brain decades ago. Not even Gilmore was able to figure it all out.

Gilmore said, "I'm hoping to find a place to rest. A friend of mine, Dressler, is lecturing at the university there. We'll take shelter and figure out where we want to go."

"I have a suggestion," Jet said with a sly smile.

Albert and Francoise both glared at him and shouted, "No!" in unison.

Jet lost his temper, now, and started bellowing about going back to New York, his home city. Albert and Francoise were having none of it for very good reasons. Ivan tuned them out and stretched his senses beyond the carriage. It was such tranquil and picturesque snowy landscape.

This wasn't what he craved. He craved getting back to his war against the Black Ghost. He wouldn't let anyone get in the way of that. He would destroy anything that got in the way of that goal. After all, his parents had removed his ability to feel pity so long ago.

* * *

"So what should I do?" Snake asked Bard and Mey-rin in desperation.

"I don't know," the American chef said, as he stirred a bowl of eggs. "I give him a sock filled with candy and tin soldiers and he seems to like that, but you can't just give him something like that."

"I always give him a new scarf or socks I knitted. I make sure the color brings out his nice eyes. Yes, I do," she answered. "I bet you don't knit, do you?"

Snake shook his head. "I wouldn't have a clue, Longfellow says."

"Aggghhhhh!" Bard shouted and jumped on a chair, looking around for the offending snake. "Where is it?"

"He," Snake corrected and reached down, lofting the black snake. "So what do you think?" Snake cocked his head to one side and got an impression in his head from Longfellow. "Thank you, Longfellow. That's perfect! And Miss Nina is at Midford right now."

"Aggghhhhh!" Mey-rin shouted, jumped on a chair, and covered her breasts with her arms at the mention of the perverted seamstress. Snake bolted from the room, went to the one trunk he had left the circus with, and took out a special cloak from one of his costumes: it was made of crimson silk.

* * *

"Oh please, Miss Nina. Please help him," Lizzy pleaded on Snake's behalf. "He's such a nice person, and he protected Ciel and me on a horrid cruise. Please."

"Okay, I'll do it," the seamstress capitulated. "But it's for you, Lady Elizabeth."

Snake handed over his red, silk cloak; and she examined it. Nina's eyes popped open in shock and she whistled. Nina said, "This is a high quality fabric and such a well made garment. Are you sure?"

"Yes. I don't need it any longer, and I want the boy I love to smile."

Nina smirked. "Okay. I'll do it."

"Yay!" Lizzy shouted, grabbed Snake's wrists, and started skipping around with him through the Midford mansion. He put up with her, since she was his advocate in getting the perfect present for Finny.

* * *

Snake looked at what Miss Nina had created, and it took his breath away. It was a scarlet poppy made of silk fabric. The peddles had tangerine spinel beading as if they were dew drops. It rested on a stiff wire wrapped in green silk. It's amber stamen featured a two carrot, umber topaz stone in some glossy fabric Nina had in reserve.

"These stones. They're real, aren't they?" Snake asked not expecting the extra embellishments.

Lizzy nodded and smiled. "Most certainly! Don't worry about them. I wanted Finnian to have something very nice since he's always a good servant of Ciel's. I hope this is a good gift and he really likes it."

Snake started getting a sinking feeling. "How much do I owe you, Lady Elizabeth, Miss Nina?"

"If you give me the left over fabric from your cloak, we'll call it even," Nina said with a chipper expression.

"Don't worry about the gems at all. They were taken out of an old ring of Grandmother Milford's and were going to be sold. Don't worry about it at all."

"Of course! Please have the cloak. I'm not going back to the circus," Snake said very happy. "And thank you so much for the gems, Lady Elizabeth. I'm in your debt."

"It does look beautiful!" Lizzy gushed as she examined the fabric poppy in Snake's hand. "I hope Ciel gives me something as wonderful."

"I'm sure he will," Snake said.

"Oh! Ciel's birthday is in just a few days, so we need to plan, Miss Nina!" Lizzy said.

Snake felt that was his queue to leave. "I have to get back now." With that, he left Midford Manor very satisfied.

To be continued.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Of course, Watanuki belongs to the ladies of CLAMP. Yes, he makes a slight guest appearance. The plot will get really interesting with his intervention here. Just stick with me on it. I think a lot of you will see where I'm going.

Paradise, part two

Grell took a deep breath and walked into the Undertaker's mortuary. He was dreading this... a lot. The one thing that was predictable about the Undertaker was that he was unpredictable. Grell found the tall grim reaper; he didn't look up from where he was lounging on a closed casket with a cup of tea.

"You're early, Grell. Looking for another long nap underground?"

"No, Undertaker, or should I say, Adrian Crevan?"

"I haven't heard that name in decades," he mused and then gave one of those chuckles that sent chills up Grell's spine.

"Yes, well, Will is being such a bore." Grell was sweating as he tried to figure out his next move.

"That lazy bloke with you on the cruise ship? He sure was flirting like crazy with the earl's maid."

"No, that was my underling, Ronald. My boss is Will. Anyway, Undertaker, darling, never mind all that. Let's not play. Will told me a name appeared in your book. No sense in beating around the bush. I know what you are and you know what I am. And Will is a bureaucrat that that can make my my job rather unpleasant. I don't want unpleasant."

The Undertaker flung his top hat aside, swept his bangs back, and put on his glasses. Grell couldn't believe the direct approach was working! Grell tried not to gulp. It was easy to forget what a handsome grim reaper the Undertaker was under all those bangs.

The Undertaker pushed his glasses to the bridge of his nose and smiled warmly. Grell knew what it was like to be a grim reaper without glasses, it was horribly disorienting to be blind. Why the Undertaker would choose to go without their special glasses baffled Grell. Even retired grim reapers were allowed to keep them. Nothing else, but the glasses were an item that stayed with each grim reaper.

The Undertaker rose from where he had been sprawled out and beckoned Grell with a single finger over the shoulder. Grell followed the taller grim reaper into a back room of the mortuary. It was dim, but had a few candles burning. There were two items. The scythe was resting on pegs in the back wall. The book was resting open on a wood table below it, the candles surrounding it.

"Go ahead, Grell. You'll see I have two names, actually. A second one appeared an hour before you showed up."

Grell went and looked at the open pages. At the top of the left page was the name and details of the death of Doctor Isaac Gilmore. At the top of the right page was the fresh name of Jean-Paul Arnoul. Grell noticed the four pink book marks tucked in the left side of the book. "So it is true? You halted four deaths. I take it this Arnoul fellow is important to one of those people you spared?"

"That's Francoise's older brother. I haven't decided if I'm going to reap him or not. Gilmore? No. His death would complicate the game I'm playing with them."

"What game? You have a duty to reap these six souls, retired or not." When there was only silence, Grell swirled around to meet the Undertaker's glowing, green eyes behind glinting lenses reflecting candle light.

Now Grell realized what a mistake I was to follow the Undertaker anywhere. Grell quickly whipped out his chainsaw scythe. He flashed the Undertaker a matching grin to disguise his worry. "Well, it's been a fun little friendship, but business is business, darling," Grell said with a casual shrug.

"Aww, I suppose it was," Undertaker said with a sly tone.

The Undertaker leaped in the air, over Grell's head, and land on the table with his reaper book. Grell swung his scythe, but was too slow for the older reaper. The Undertaker dodged another swipe to his stomach and grabbed his scythe.

"Have a nap, my fair, red flower," the Undertaker said. The last thing Grell saw was the hilt of the Undertaker's scythe coming for him between the eyes.

* * *

"So what did you get him?" Mey-rin demanded the moment Snake snuck in the back door.

He started and clenched the box to his chest. "You scared me, says Emily."

"I'm sorry. I was just excited to see what you got Finny," she said. Bard poked his head out of the kitchen and then walked over to them.

"Yeah. Let's have a peek," Bard said and took a drag off his cigarette.

Snake was bashful, but he opened to box and desperately hoped for approval. Mey-rin made a sigh of appreciation and Bard whistled with raised eyebrows. Mey-rin added, "This is gorgeous."

"Plus, it won't die like normal flowers," Bard pointed out.

"He'll like it?" Snake asked.

"Like what?" Finny asked at the end of the hallway.

Snake quickly slammed the box shut and said, "Have to go see the earl!"

He ran out of the hallway, leaving Finny very confused and disappointed.

* * *

Ivan was the last to leave the carriage. He was the only one wearing a kosovorotka; it was non-western dress. He put on his boyar hat; it was getting cold, but not as cold as his homeland. He would have to adopt western dress again, quickly. The Black Ghost had spies everywhere. There were only so many places a heterochromatic teenager in Russian clothing could hide in England.

He covered his brown, left eye with his palm. It was his Aunt Katrina's useless eye buried within him at her insistence. It was the last gift she gave him before she left the Black Ghost with her small child. It was at the time when the clockwork cyborgs had been recaptured by the Black Ghost seventeen years ago and punished for their rebellion. Katrina had been instrumental in getting them free again as she fled to England with her baby so he could live.

It had been a baby boy that had been altered in her womb in some way Ivan wasn't clear on. The child was slated to die because he wasn't able to develop telepathy outside of communicating with certain animals. What Ivan knew was if the baby survived, somehow, he would have no kinship to humanity. The boy had been made into part animal, so he'd be rejected by anyone he encountered. He hoped, for his cousin's sake, he had died quickly and early. He wouldn't wish that type of unhappy existence on anyone.

His aunt Katrina's child had been declared useless by the Black Ghost and Ivan's mother was to kill him. Ivan's mother, Ericka Gamo, was a powerful telekinetic assassin; she had no qualms about killing her own sister's child. Ivan took a deep breath and steeled himself against those horrid memories.

His Aunt Katrina's eye in his socket wouldn't be useless for long. It would awaken soon. After all, she held the most powerful physic gift: precognition. His blue, right eye that he had naturally inherited from his mother was where his powers lay for now, but it was changing rapidly. Into what, Ivan couldn't guess. He could be evolving or devolving. His father, Doctor Fyodr Gamo, never talked about all the experiments he'd preformed on Ivan's brain.

"Gilmore! Nice to see you," a German professor said, jogging up, thankfully disturbing Ivan's dark thoughts.

"Dressler, thank you so much for taking us in," Gilmore said.

Ivan read Dressler's mind right away to ensure they wouldn't be betrayed. It had happened before a couple of times. He looked over at Jet, Francoise, and Albert. He had to be careful for their sakes. They'd suffered like him and no longer shared kinship with humankind either, however they all wanted to spend whatever existence they had destroying the Black Ghost. He'd had to persuade some of them more than others, but they had all fallen in line with his war plans.

Dressler got them comfortable in the guest dormitory. The man explained some of the news he'd heard about Black Ghost. Ivan was worried about one piece of news. They were sending Van Bogart after them. That was really bad news. Van Bogart was a master hunter and sniper. His eyes and skills were incredible sharp. He traded guns to war torn areas; this was his business. Bogart had even beat Albert in a fight before.

Dressler assured them they had a safe spot for a while. He assigned them all cover roles. Francoise was to be his secretary. Albert, a visiting musical professor, since that was the work he had done before his clockwork conversion. Ivan accepted his roll as a campus page. Jet, though, that was going to be a problem. Dressler had enrolled Jet as an American transfer student because he was unaware of one thing about him.

"You're kidding me! I dropped out in the eight grade! I hate school! I ain't doin' it! I ain't going to no stinkin' collage!" the redhead bellowed with clenched fists.

Albert sighed and said, "Consider books to Jet like garlic to a vampire."

"Well it's too late, now," Dressler said.

"Don't worry. We'll fake it," Albert said, patting his tall, glaring lover on his shoulder.

"What about Gilmore?" Ivan asked, ignoring the typical argument between Albert and Jet in the background.

"He'll be hiding in the basement. He's too well known here," Dressler replied.

"Very good," Ivan said. Dressler then lead them off to get comfortable.

* * *

"...and happy birthday to you!" the Phantomhive servants sang along with Lady Elizabeth and her family. Among the other honored guests were Lau and Ran-Mao, along with Prince Soma and Agni. Finny felt excited as they came to a close and Sebastian pushed a cart with a masterpiece of a cake resting on it. Everyone clapped and smiled at the child-earl, who was slightly frowning.

Finny, every now and again, felt sorry for Master Ciel. He had the weight of the world on his shoulders, but Finny admitted the young master held up well and accomplished great things at such a young age. He so admired Master Ciel and was grateful to him, too. He really wanted to see the young master smile once this night. Only how to make it so? Maybe Lady Elizabeth had brought another pink, flowered bonnet for Mister Sebastian to wear? Oh how Finny hoped. Not to be mean towards Mister Sebastian, but it did bring some great laughter around.

After the cake cutting, everyone broke up in their groups and mingled. Finny would have normally stuck by Bard and Mey-rin, but he had something to do. He snuck up to his and Bard's room. He grabbed the gift wrapped package from under his bed and tip-toed downstairs. He looked around and darted for the Christmas tree, since no one was paying attention to it. He found a space under the tree that would be perfect to slip in his gift to Snake. He wedged it in carefully and smiled.

Inside were three things: an ushanka, thick fur gloves, and a brass kaleidoscope. It was the kaleidoscope that had caught Finny's attention a month ago. He found it at an odd store with a strange fence around it. It ended up being a very odd day, indeed.

To say the shopkeeper, who claimed to grant wishes, was strange was an understatement. He was a young man smoking a pipe and sipping something called Sake. He had two girls with him who skipped around and repeated everything. Finny noticed the kaleidoscope beside the shopkeeper's elbow on a table and asked after it. The shopkeeper called himself Watanuki, and he said Finny could have it if he went looking for a special diamond and and brought it to him.

They went to the front yard and Watanuki pointed to the top of a lamp post across from his shop. "It's up there. I can't leave the wards of this wish shop. Bring it to me."

Finnian quickly raced across the street, climbed the pole, and retrieved the diamond. It was egg-sized and caught on top of the street lamp. He held it towards Watanuki happy he could get the fancy kaleidoscope for Snake for such a simple task. Or so he thought.

"I explained to you there would be a price. That was the easy part. I know you're incredibly strong and can actually crush the diamond using every bit of your strength. You'll meet the true owner very soon. You'll know him because his eyes are mismatched like mine: one brown, one blue.

"You are to crush the diamond at that time and give him the powder. He'll know what to do. Be forewarned, it will cause you pain and draw your blood during the process. It will be a necessary component he needs to balance his own body and abilities. It's very important you do this, because it will preserve the future peace of this world. Do you wish to continue?"

"Yes. I mean... if it's that serious."

Watanuki gave him a serene smile and said, "The kaleidoscope isn't worth the amount of pain you'll endure. It has a special quality. The person using it will only see the happy memories of their life. They'll feel peaceful and comfort as they gaze through it. They'll see their loved ones clearly in only the most beautiful surrounding. The pain you'll face will cost more. Therefore, you will earn more for your special friend. Girls," Watanuki called out, "go get Fai's left over items in the warehouse, but not his staff or the skin of his tattoo. Those are still property of the wish shop."

Finny rubbed his own hand over the back of his neck self consciously at the word "tattoo."

They came back, chanting, "Lying wizard! Lying wizard!"

Finny was amazed to see the girls carrying two things: a strange, white, fuzzy hat with blue trim and thick gloves lined with fur. Watanuki explained, "A close friend of mine left these with the previous wish shop owner when his county was destroyed. His only request was to give them to someone who would need them. They're made of the finest Celes elk hide and enchanted against the cold. You will never find anything like this in this world. Fai came from a land of eternal blizzard, so those wizards knew how to protect themselves against the cold. This will make the price you pay for the kaleidoscope fair."

"But won't this Fai person come back for them?" Finny worried because the hat and gloves looked really expensive. Besides, Finny wasn't sure he believed in all that wizard talk at all.

"Once something has been traded away to me, or my mentor before me, it can never be regained by that person. Something is traded off for a price. The price you're going to pay must be a perfect balance." Watanuki then got a fond smile. "Fai wanted to turn the page on his life with his adoptive father in Celes. He's living a new life he's quite happy with. Your friend will get good use out of them. The hat is called an ushanka. Something similar to it is in a country called Russia. The gloves are also made of the pelt from Celes' elk. The animal no longer exist, so it is a rare gift you'll be giving, indeed."

"They're so soft and warm. It's like they've been right by a fireplace." Finny started cuddling the hat and gloves. He'd never felt anything like them.

"So now for your part. Give me your left wrist."

Finny held it towards him. "It will hurt, but your altered blood will save many, many lives."

"Then it's worth it," Finny said enthusiastically. Watanuki took the egg shape diamond and pushed it against Finny's wrist.

Watanuki gave him a serene smile. "Your heart and the future you'll have with him will get you through the price you'll pay. Have faith and look towards the future."

Finny didn't remember the rest. He had the three items and a small lump on his left wrist. He had kept it bandaged under long sleeves so no one noticed, except Snake when they would would have their "alone time." Finny insisted it was no big deal, but Snake would fret. Finny planned on explaining when Christmas came, so Snake would stop being so worried.

Anyway, Finny was excited about this Christmas. He had pressed and dried many types of flowers all summer for Mey-rin, and he had acquired three good quality cigars for Bard, thanks to Sebastian's help. For Tanaka, he got the Japanese man a new calligraphy brush.

He wasn't allowed to give anything to Master Ciel; it wasn't the tradition for a servant to give their master a Christmas gift in Victorian England. It was the other way around; and it would be considered insulting if Finny tried to gift him. That went for Lady Elizabeth, too. As far as Sebastian went, Finny was confused. He wanted to give the butler a Christmas gift, but it seemed improper.

Snake approached the Christmas tree, interrupting Finny's thoughts. Snake put a brightly colored box under the tree. Finny was baffled and curious. Finny opened his mouth to inquire, but Snake turned beet red and ran back upstairs.

Finny was starting to feel sad, because Snake wouldn't stay in the same room with him for more than two minutes over the last several days. Finny's bottom lip pouted out and he hung his head. Snake hadn't even asked him for "alone time" over the last three days, and Finny was still shy about asking.

What if Snake didn't like him any more! Mey-rin and Bard were approaching, but he just wanted to be by himself. He bolted upstairs, too, and shut himself in his cold, dark room.

To be continued.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: The English and the Dutch were competing for territory a little before the Victorian era. They still had a bitter hostility during the Victorian era, even though the English had won soundly. That's why Ciel is so sour on Van Bogart being Dutch.

Also, I used part of the lyrics from Dave Vanian and the Phantom Chords' song 'Whiskey and Me' when the Undertaker is talking to Grell. Figured he sing something bizarre.

Paradise, part three

Snake bolted upright and tried to steady his breath. He had been dreaming of his mother. Her long, silky blond hair went to her waist and covered her face most times. She was emaciated because they lived in an abandoned, London warehouse, and she couldn't get them food so easily. He was always fed first, though. When he was five, she caught pneumonia and died quickly.

She had told him to do one thing before that moment she died: walk five blocks north, and to go with the first person that talked to him. She said his ultimate joy and destiny would spring from a stint at a circus, but he was to live through it for a while and let life guide him as it came.

Her eyes, the few time he saw his mother's, the right one was soft brown and full of life, the left one was an empty, dead whiteness. She was always silent as she held him on her lap. Her lips would move, but no sound would happen. It was as if she was talking to someone else far, far away he couldn't see.

She had patted his face and said, "Have faith and look to the future." He didn't know what all of it meant at the time, but she wouldn't wake up after she had said it, and he had to eat. He did as he was told and got caught up quickly as a sideshow attraction. His reptilian friends followed him and protected him. They cared for him after his mother was gone, until he was old enough to care for them.

He pushed the dream of his mother away and reached across his bed; he realized the right side of his bed was cold. He hadn't invited Finny to spend the night with him for several days now. Heck, he'd barely given Finny a few, brief, timid kisses on his cheek during that time. They had shared just cursory hand squeezes here and there, as well. Snake admitted his lust kept building from the lack of release, but more important, he was growing lonely and missing Finny's company during the night.

He flopped back against the mattress and then balled up, clenching his eyes shut. How quickly he had gotten used to Finny's presence in even the simplest of things. He had let Finny into his heart, and he was starting to be afraid of that.

Lately, he realized what a great responsibility it was to vow to be someone's keeper. He wondered if he was ready for this, or he was too young to handle the responsibility. It wasn't just his own life that would be harmed if he messed up, it would be Finny's life, too.

Finny made him feel so respected and trusted. Snake felt like a protector; and he felt like he could be depended on to provide for the younger boy. But he was starting to get cold feet; what if he failed Finny? Snake didn't think he could live with himself if he failed Finny. Even with all of his recent doubts, he still couldn't deny he wanted Finny more than anything.

Christmas Eve was just a day away. Maybe after exchanging gifts he could work up the nerve to assure Finny he wanted to stay by his side and really commit to his self-proclaimed role as Finny's keeper. The alternative was watching life jade Finny, and Snake would hate himself if he stood by and let that happen.

Snake felt his mind was much clearer when they were snowed in at Trancy House. There, Snake was under a lot of pressure to make his intentions towards Finny known, clear, and firm. Heat came to his face remembering that first night they had made love there. How good it felt, and how pure Finny's trust and faith was in Snake.

He still had those same intentions of being Finny's keeper, but at Phantomhive the pressure was different. Bard and Mey-rin were like family to Finny. Snake felt the need to assure them he was going to be good to Finny and treat him like gold. At Trancy House, he needed to stake out his position and defend Finny against harm. The two situations were very different.

In many ways, it was easier at Trancy House than at Phantomhive Manor. Snake had to make Bard and Mey-rin his allies. So far, they seemed to like him, but Bard wasn't fully on board with the romance because of their youth. Mey-rin seemed happy for Finny and Snake, but cautious, too.

The one thing Bard and Snake had talked about a few weeks earlier was the state Finnian had been in when he had first arrived at the Phantomhive Estate. It was utterly gruesome and worse than Snake had imagined.

All Snake wanted to do was find a way to erase those memories of Finny's. Snake swore one day he'd find a way to take away every, nasty part of Finny's life before two years ago and give him a nice, long future of comfort.

* * *

Grell smacked his lips together and opened his eyes. His eyesight was useless, everything was one solid light and dark blur. He was utterly disoriented. After a while, he figured he was moving. He sat up and could tell nothing about his surroundings except he was in a wagon or carriage. He felt around his face and coat, desperate to get his glasses.

"Good morning, sunshine," the Undertaker said in a teasing tone.

"Don't toy with me, Adrian! Give me my glasses!"

The Undertaker chuckled. "Not on your life, my pet. You can stay put. Don't worry, though. I'm going to do one of the things you asked me."

"What are you up to? Surrender your book and scythe now!"

"Aww... you aren't the party rebel I thought you were," the Undertaker said with a pout to his tone.

"I told you I have a job to do, and I'm already on Will's bad side!"

Suddenly, there was a lurch of the wagon stopping, and the brightness Grell could detect became a shadow. "Listen, Grell, I'm moving in the direction you want. You'd do well to sit back and relax. If you're a good boy, I'll let you watch me work. I'll introduce you to one of my favorite predators after all this."

"Predator?"

Grell felt the Undertaker put a firm hand under his chin. There was that eerie chuckle again. "Yes, a man by the name of Van Bogart. He keeps our kind in business. Now, settle back. Indulge in fun memories awhile, because we aren't to Paris yet." The Undertaker burst out in hysterical laughter. "Remember the fun I had getting all of you to run around on that cruise ship shouting 'The Pheonix'? Ruining the earl's dignity was especially fun."

"I still haven't paid you back for that one," Grell said through clenched teeth.

"Aww... this was one of the reasons I retired. No laughter among grim reapers."

Grell sighed when the Undertaker took his hand away from his chin. "You'd despise Will, for certain if you ever met him."

"Well, let's get to Paris. There is a dirigible that's due to blow up."

"Wait! Adrian! You're going to reap that Jean-Paul Arnoul fellow? You're due to reap Gilmore first!"

"Gilmore is bookmarked. No grim reaper can touch him until I say so, now. Same as the four others traveling with him. Their lives are playing out as I say so."

"But...? You can't!"

"Yes, I can."

"But why?!" Grell raged. "You know putting lives in stasis is not our purpose."

The Undertaker was silent for a while. Then Grell could feel the fellow reaper move closer to his right side. "I had a friend I loved, and she said she loved me. She had the gift of seeing the future. She refused to use the gift to cast this world into chaos, so she was punished by the men she worked for. They abused her horribly. Even her own sister and brother-in-law turned against her.

"I was to reap her soul, but she saw me coming for her soul because of her gift. I made several deals with her over a delightful afternoon. It was all because of that woman I left being a grim reaper. I protected her for a long time until it was her destiny to face the hardships she chose. She wanted to bear the son she foresaw, even though he wasn't conceived out of affection in the least.

"I made it possible she could give birth to her child by protecting her against a lot of things. I reaped her soul when she was ready and she asked, when she had foreseen her son had to leave her. One day, I hope that child's name appears in my book and I can tell him about his mother."

"But...! I mean! I know what it is to be captivated by a woman! Madam Red was my distraction for a while, but I never let her sway me from my duties. All that much...!" Grell admitted. Then he got indignant again. "You let that woman eat away at your brain and convince you to stop reaping!"

The Undertaker chuckled and said in a sing-song, "Sunday I went looking and I found her in the park, I took out my revolver and I shot her in the heart, She said she wanted freedom I guess I set her free, yeah, Now Monday's coming 'round and I'm alone it's just whiskey and me." The Undertaker laughed and said, "You know that one well, too, Grell?"

Grell shot out through ground teeth to avoid his hypocrisy, "You've quit reaping because of one woman! What good are you? I continued after Madam Red!"

Grell felt the Undertaker pressed close to his body again. Grell gulped. Dang that sexy reaper! The Undertaker said, "Who says I've stopped reaping? Remember, like I said, be a good boy."

Grell felt the blow to his face and thought, not again, as he fell backwards and blacked out.

* * *

Van Bogart walked into the London hotel to check in. He paused when he saw the young man at the check-in counter. He was dressed in a formal, servant's black tailcoat and handing a letter to the attendant at the counter. What caught the Dutchman's attention was the skin. It was scaly and fair. The young man's eyes were amber with slits for pupils.

The young man turned to walk out of the hotel, but Van Bogart deliberately put himself in the young man's path. The young man gasped when they bumped against each other and said, "I'm so very sorry, sir."

Van Bogart looked carefully at that face. He knew that face very well; it was the same face the young man's mother had worn. Van Bogart tugged on a smile and said in accented English, "Don't worry about it. Please," Van Bogart stepped aside and gave Snake a friendly smack on the shoulder, "have a good holiday, son."

The young man nodded bashfully and fled the hotel lobby quickly. Van Bogart went to the check-in counter and started signing in the guests' book. "You have reservations, sir?"

"Yes, but first, tell me about that young man that just delivered that letter."

"Oh, that boy? He's the footman for the Earl Phantomhive. He's very bizarre, but the earl is well connected, so no one questions his choices in servants." The clerk glanced around and leaned over the counter. "The earl is just a child, really. That's why he took on that freakish misfit that belongs in a zoo."

Van Bogart smiled, took out his wallet, and peeled out some pounds. Quite a few more than the room rental would cost. "I recognize the title of Earl Phantomhive, because I knew the one named Vincent. Never mind that, though. You see, I'm due to go hunting for some special game, but I think I found other prey that needs to be tended to first."

The attendant palmed the money and spilled tons of gossip about the Phantomhive household.

* * *

Snake peeked into the library. He saw Sebastian sighing heavily as he looked over two pieces of paper. Mey-rin and Finny were both shivering at a table with books in front of them. Sebastian set the papers down and gave the pair a gracious smile for a while.

Then the dark butler's expression grew sinister. "During the winter months, when there is not much to do, you both are to try to obtain an eighth grade education. At this rate, I will be tutoring you both for the next thirty years!

"Mathematics is a beautiful, elegant science. Yet, somehow you've butchered it in ways I've never seen in all my long, long, long days." Sebastian sighed as the pair wailed in despair. Sebastian sighed, again, and his expression softened. "Now dry your tears. Just redo these exercises, and we'll meet the day after Boxing Day."

"Yes, Sebastian," they both said in miserable sniffles.

Mey-rin scampered off with her books and papers. She explained to Finny she'd agreed to help Bard with cleaning out the pantry. Finny frowned and pouted at his books. Snake hid back in the shadows until Mey-rin and Sebastian left. He slipped in and sat by Finny.

Finny looked up shyly and blushed. He held up the paper of math exercises. "I guess I'm not too good at this."

Snake patted Finny's free hand and squeezed it. "You're not carrying things across the equal sign properly. Think of it this way, Keats says."

Snake took the paper and drew a scale. He explained to Finny how to balance equations and helped Finny rework a few problems. The snakes even helped by moving themselves from one side of the table to the other to demonstrate how to balance equation. Finny was starting to catch on from the snakes' demonstration.

Snake smiled and said, "See, you just need some practice, says Wilde. Give yourself time."

"Thank you for showing me that. The circus sure did teach you a lot." Finny reached out and patted Emily.

"No, I just knew it all one day before my mother passed on, says Brontë. I had a horrible dream one night when I was five. When I woke up, she was very, very ill and her right eye had turned milky white like her left eye. She could no longer see anything.

"She told me the dream I had would always protect me and serve me well. Pieces of what she knew would be revealed to me very slowly throughout my life. After I had that dream, she never recovered, Wadsworth says," Snake said softly and wouldn't meet Finny's eyes. "It's how I know math and literature; it was all things she knew. I know you probably think that's strange."

"You must have loved her very much," Finny said and gingerly squeezed Snake's hand with an accepting smile.

"I still do." Snake squeezed Finny's hand back. He mentally asked his reptilian friends to give him and Finny some privacy. They all told Snake they'd go harass the Phantomhive chef. His mind was now free of their thoughts.

When the twelve were gone from his awareness, he took a deep breath and tugged Finny away from the table and in between some very tall bookshelves. He leaned Finny against shelf and pushed a fierce, intense kiss on on the younger boy. They parted, panting, after several long minutes. Snake embraced Finny and said, "Please comfort me. I know I don't deserve it right now, but please, can we hold each other."

Finny just nodded and lead Snake upstairs. Snake tugged him towards the footman's bedroom. They divested themselves of their outer clothing and slipped into the cool bed. All they did was cling to each other for several long hours, even ignoring the dinner hour. Since it was the day before Christmas Eve, Snake and Finny weren't chased after, because everyone was just too busy.

Snake finally pressed a searing kiss on Finny and then pleaded, "Spend the night with me." Finny bit his bottom lip, but then nodded shyly at Snake's request. Snake figured Finny also felt in need of comfort. After several sweet kisses and caresses, Finny's eyes started to grow drowsy. Finny was drifting into sleep on his stomach, so Snake rubbed his back, hoping to lull him into rest.

"I thought you were mad at me," Finny mumbled against the pillow.

"Never," Snake whispered. "I just want to treat you right. I want to know I'm the right person for you. What if there's someone better that could..."

All of the sudden, Finny's eyes popped open and his shoulder muscles grew tense under Snake's hand.

"Du bist der einzige, den ich will," Finny said in a sincere, forthright tone. He started fearing Finny's steadfast declaration of Snake being his one and only. This was Finny putting his life in Snake's hands. Something was wrong, suddenly, with Finny's beautiful eyes. Snake pulled away when Finny's irises started turning the barest hint of maroon around the pupil. "Ich fühle mich nicht gut."

"Finny, do you understand English right now? I think you just said you don't feel good? I'm not sure," Snake asked, afraid the younger boy had sunk too deep into his head like at Trancy House. Finny just gave him a blank stare, but the maroon color was fading. Snake asked, "Verstehen Sie mich?"

Finny's head cocked and he said, "Ich verstehe dich nicht."

Snake did what he could. He snuggled Finny when he saw Finny's eyes finish returning to normal. He held the boy close and hoped he would sleep it off like last time. Then a thought came to Snake. His mother wasn't English. Her accent was from a different land. He wondered if she put her language in his head, too. What if it cut him off from Finny one day when it came to his surface thoughts?

He clenched Finny tightly against his chest. Now Snake felt firm. He refused to be cut off from this boy. He'd fight against anything to be with Finny. He didn't care what it was. He put away his fear and decided to devoted his heart fully towards Finny. What Snake knew was that he was passionately in love with Finnian.

* * *

Ciel thought of the letter of introduction and reread it in his mind with a scowl. What kind of person would insist on meeting on Christmas Eve morning? This Dutchman, Van Bogart, that had had some tenuous relationship with his father. A Dutchman, of all people! Still, a Queen's guard dog had to deal with all manner of people.

Ciel watched from the top of the stairs as the carriage pulled up to the front of Phantomhive Manor. His servants were in a receiving line behind him. He glanced and was pleased, except Finny's wan completion did concern him. Usually, Finny wore such a bright, sunny smile. Ciel would ask Sebastian later.

He looked down the stairs where his footman was doing his job of helping the visitor out of the carriage and taking his large handbag. Ciel noticed Snake gave pause. Snake and the visitor met eyes. Van Bogart gave a smirk and said, "Thank you for taking my bag. I think we ran into each other before."

"Yes, sir," Snake stammered and fled up the stairs with the bags. Snake ran past the receiving line and went right indoors. Van Bogart strode up the stairs and looked down at Ciel. The man was as tall as Sebastian, but built with tremendously large muscles. The man must have been in his sixties, judging by his gray hair, but he looked very fit in Ciel's estimation.

"Welcome, Van Bogart. I never turn down a chance to meet someone who knew my parents."

"Nice to finally meet you. I hated to disturb your holidays, but I need to get back to my job quickly, and I couldn't pass up an opportunity to finally meet you."

"So you knew my father how?" Ciel asked, getting rather suspicious of the man.

Van Bogart said, "Your father contemplated joining the cartel I'm in. He decided not to, but maybe you might see its appeal."

"Fine, let's have lunch and talk about what you'd asked," Ciel said, having a feeling his father hadn't wanted to throw his lot in with man and his ilk for a good reason. Ciel led the man into the manor house.

Snake gave them a shallow bow in the foyer to indicate Van' Bogart's things were in a guest room. Ciel didn't miss Van Bogart's eyes on Snake. Snake was a certainly a curiosity, but the man seemed more interested than that. "So, what is it that you do for a living?"

"I hunt. I hunt for the cartel I work for, primarily. When they want something dead or caught, I make sure it's done," the man said, his eyes not leaving Snake. "When something is ordered dead, it gets dead. After all, I wouldn't be much of a hunter if I couldn't kill something."

* * *

"So what did you find, Mey-rin?" Sebastian asked as the maid tip-toed into the butler's pantry. He had sent the maid to snoop in their visitor's bags. Her glasses were resting on top of her head and she looked very grim.

"Three sniper rifles. GX-18, a Wall Banger, and a Jones. He has enough ammo to take down an army. None of the rifles has scopes, so he must be really good."

"A man his age should need scopes. He's three times your age, and, as far as I can tell, doesn't have your special eyesight," Sebastian pointed out.

"A hunter wouldn't use those rifles because the gage is too large. You'd destroy your prey. Those rifles are meant to send a message," she said in a dour tone.

"Tell Bard to be wary and tell him what you found," She lowered her glasses and nodded.

She paused and asked, "What about Finny?"

"I'll inform him and Snake," Sebastian said. She left and Sebastian finished preparing the cart with tea and a light snack. Van Bogart wasn't what he seemed.

To be continued.

A/N: Again, sorry for my crummy German.

Du bist der einzige, den ich will = You're the only one I want

Ich fühle mich nicht gut = I don't feel good

Verstehen Sie mich = Do you understand

Ich verstehe dich nicht = I don't understand you


	4. Chapter 4

Paradise, part four:

Van Bogart had two choices. He could quickly kill the failed experiment; that was his first instinct. He could tell the young man serving as the earl's footman still couldn't use his telepathy towards humans, judging by how the young man hadn't picked up on his malicious intent. Van Bogart stopped planning on killing the footman as he watched several snakes slither after him in perfect obedience and timing.

The footman would point at something silently and one of the snakes would bring it. Obviously, his telepathy with reptiles had developed a great deal, if he could control so many snakes. Van Bogart watched all sorts of snakes under the young man's control, poisons ones included. He knew the scientists with the Black Ghost had designed the young man to be venomous in his mother's womb, but Van Bogart wasn't sure if that was a success without looking into the young man's mouth.

The footman called himself "Snake," aptly so. He snorted, wondering if the young man remembered his real name, the one that wretched wench of a mother had given him. Nikolay was the name Katerina had given him, even though she'd been told not to name him, to not get attached to him, to be cold towards the child she gave birth to, because he was to be an experiment. Nemtsov was his surname, because she wasn't married to the father; Van Bogart doubted the footman knew that either.

Van Bogart gave a bitter smirk over lunch as he watched the young man assist the strange Phantomhive butler. The young man certainly hadn't inherited any of his father's genes, and Van Bogart knew Snake's father extremely well. Van Bogart admitted he was a little disappointed in the young man standing before him.

Snake wasn't well built, and he was of average hight; what a let down! What surprised him, though, Van Bogart said something about the weather in Russian addressed to "Nikolay" and the boy didn't respond to his mother's native language or his given name at all. It would seem Snake had been totally immersed in the English culture and probably thought of himself as an Englishman.

Katrina must not have spoken to Snake at all in Russian, just English, and he wondered why. He wondered if the boy even knew he was half Russian. More than likely, not. He was just a collection of human and reptile genes, anyway, so it didn't really matter. Ericka Gamo had really messed up not getting rid of this one. Still, Van Bogart was starting to think the young man could be of some use to the Black Ghost after all.

As he and Earl Phantomhive finished their Christmas Eve lunch, Van Bogart was contemplating ways of getting leverage over Snake. Leverage over Snake came in an unexpected way. He also didn't expect the potential of getting two experiments back for the price of one.

A Japanese man came in and whispered into the butler's ear. The butler, Sebastian, frowned and turned to the footman. "Snake, please go see Bardroy in the servant's quarters. There is a matter you need to attend to."

Snake nodded and left; the elderly Japanese man took Snake's place. The Earl Phantomhive looked over at Sebastian. "Is everything all right?"

Sebastian said, "Nothing for you to worry over, young master. It would seem your gardener had a small accident. I'll check on him later and tell you the details."

Van Bogart wondered why Snake would have to go look after a gardener. It seemed very odd. Van Bogart excused himself to the water closet and quickly crept through the hallways towards the servants' quarters. Snake was easy to track for Van Bogart because of the slithering shadows on the floor. He peeked through the open room door and kept to the shadows.

There was a boy with strawberry blond hair sitting on a bed. A burly man in chef's clothing was supporting the boy while Snake helped remove a bloody shirt. There were some cuts lacing the boy's back. Snake asked with gritted teeth, "How did it happen?"

"I don't know. He started having a seizure and then fell backwards through the French-doors off the breakfast nook. The glass got him, because he kept thrashing about. I tried my best to keep him still, but... well... there was no way I could even hope to restrain him. He's just too damn strong."

Van Bogart found that very bizarre, because the chef was massive compared to the unconscious, scrawny boy. Snake whispered soothing, gentle things to the boy and took over steadying him as the chef dabbed the boy's back with rag damp with alcohol.

Van Bogart was repulsed when he saw Snake press small kisses to the boy's temple, caress his cheek, and whisper sweet nothings into the boy's ear. The Dutch hunter wondered if Snake was one of those types, a pervert that liked the same sex. That would NOT be from Snake's paternal side! It was from that interfering mother!

The unconscious boy's head slumped forward, and Van Bogart was shocked to see the tattoo on the back of his neck. That tattoo made the boy property of the Black Ghost! The German scientific research branch, Sturm und Streit Gruppe, used that very tattoo. Since the SSG was mysteriously destroyed a little over two years ago, any property or research belonged to the Black Ghost. They'd want that experiment, for certain, because the SSG had gotten so far in their experimentation. What luck to run into two things the Black Ghost could want back! It was, indeed, a small world.

Suddenly, he heard a hiss. He glanced around, but it was too shadowy. Snake's voice called out, "I see you, Oscar says! Keats says he's watching you, too."

Van Bogart ground his teeth and bolted back down the hallway. So Snake turned out more useful than the Black Ghost imagined. They would have done better to raise him than get rid of him. Than again, there was the Ivan Gamo problem. The Black Ghost had tried to raise Ivan, Snake's own cousin, and the Gamo boy was causing way too many headaches.

* * *

"Wake up, Grell, or you'll miss all the fun."

Grell shook his head and came to, only this time he could see. His glasses were thankfully back on, albeit, skewed. The Undertaker was standing in front of him. Grell tried to move, but he quickly realized he was tied to a tree. Panic hit him when he realized how far up the tree they were. They were at least forty feet in the air resting on a thick limb.

"Ahhgggg! Adrian! What are we doing up here?! Are you insane?"

The Undertaker just chuckled and shrugged. "I told you a dirigible is about to explode. I have one soul to reap: the pilot, Jean-Paul Arnoul."

"But what about the other people on the ship?"

"I hope your boss assigned someone to the job," the Undertaker said in a gloating tone. "I'm not going to reap anyone else. I'm retired, you know."

"Is this what got me called off of vacation?"

Grell looked at the base of the tree. Sure enough, there was Ronald Knox looking rather put out. Grell shouted, "Ronald! Catch the Undertaker and get me down from here!"

"That guy again? Not on your life. I had enough of him on that cruise ship, which you never filled in my comp time sheet for. I want to get back to my vacation in one piece. I have twenty-seven souls to reap before I can get back to resting and relaxing. That Will T. Spears is a harsh taskmaster."

Grell sneered down at his trainee and vowed to make his existence as a grim reaper a living hell. The Undertaker said to Ronald, "There's a soul I have to reap first and then you can collect all the other cinematic records aboard the ship."

Ronald sighed. "And I supposed Grell doesn't have a name down in his book? It all falls to me, eh?"

"It does all fall on your shoulders, lazy bones. Grell was dying to watch me work," the Undertaker said with a gleeful smile as he put on his glasses so he could see what he was doing. The Undertaker turned and lofted his scythe. He leaped to another branch and another as the sound of an engine came their way. Finally, Grell watched in horror as the Undertaker took a giant leap in the air and phased into the cabin of the dirigible.

Grell could watch the whole thing through the windows of the pilot's cabin. The Undertaker's scythe cut through the older man's chest. The man clutched his chest and fell backwards as his cinematic record flowed into the Undertaker's lofted palm. After the record was taken, the Undertaker kicked a lever and jumped out a window. With a gentle whoosh and flutter of black cloth, the Undertaker landed in front of Grell.

The dirigible started drifting towards the forest. Ronald sighed and headed towards the impending disaster with his scythe, grumbling all the way. Grell shouted for Ronald, but the younger grim reaper was ignoring him.

Grell shivered when the Undertaker got in his face and smiled. "So, Grell, now that our little, French vacation in over, shall we get back to business?"

"Vacation?! You twisted fu..."

"Aww... you don't appreciate all the places I take you," the Undertaker said with a pout. He tucked away Jean-Paul Arnoul's cinematic record in his coat and stood up. He lofted the hilt of his scythe and said, "I'll wake you when we get back to England."

"No! Not again! Not the face! Not the face!" Grell shouted, but was knocked out quickly as the sounds of death and destruction were starting in the background.

* * *

Finny opened his eyes and felt a slight pressure around his left hand. The pressure had a cool, textured sensation. He looked over to see Snake was holding his hand. Some of Snake's skin had patches of scales that felt different from Finny's own skin. To Finny, Snake's skin felt smooth, pleasant, and reassuring, because every touch he received from Snake was so gentle and tender.

He realized he was in his own bed, lying on his right side, as dusk was falling. Snake was sitting on the side of the bed. Finny lifted his head, but Snake stroked his hair and made him lay back on the pillow. "Just relax, Finny, says Wilde."

"I thought you were serving lunch with Sebastian," he mumbled, turning his head towards Snake's voice. The older boy's eyes were glowing bright amber in the dim light cast from the fireplace.

"I was, but Tanaka took my place. It's dinner service now, says Wadsworth."

"Oh no, the Midfords are arriving!"

"Don't worry. Everything is taken care of, says Emily. Lady Elizabeth wanted me to tell you she hopes you're well by tomorrow morning, and she enjoyed your holly wreaths. She especially thanks you for all the mistletoe you placed around the doors. She really likes all of your decorations on the tree, too."

"Oh, I'm so happy. She really is so nice," Finny said in relief, and then a wave of nausea hit. He steadied his stomach and said, "I hope she's happy, because she's so nice to all of us Phantomhive servants. So is her family. I should get up and go help with the Midfords' luggage."

"You won't move an inch from this bed, says Goethe."

Sure enough, Goethe slithered on Finny's left shoulder and settled on him. Finny knew he'd tattle to Snake if he tried to leave the bed. "But I don't want to let down the young master," he explained to Goethe more than to Snake.

Snake said, "Everything is fine. Everyone is enjoying some games and holiday drinks before dinner, says Longfellow. There is really nothing for us to do. Black, I mean, Sebastian has everything running smoothly."

Snake's brow furrowed and he squeezed Finny's hand harder. Finny asked, "What's wrong?"

"Do you remember anything that happened?"

"No," Finny mumbled. He started realizing his left wrist was starting to throb in pain. It was where that secret diamond of the wish shop owner's was embedded. "All I saw was a bright flash of light and that was all."

"You had a seizure and fell into glass doors." Snake then turned to the small grouping of reptiles on the floor. "Oscar, go see Sebastian. I think he'll understand I need to see him if he sees you."

The smooth snake slithered out of the room quickly, leaving Finnian wondering what that was about.

Finny decided to not pry and asked, "My back is just a little sore. That's why?" Snake nodded to Finny's question. "I'm so, so sorry. I should have been careful. Please forgive me. I didn't want to worry you."

"You did nothing wrong! You couldn't help it. Do you not get the idea that you shouldn't apologize for something you couldn't help?"

Finny couldn't meet Snake's hard, narrowed eyes any more. He choked back his miserable response and tried to pull away, but Goethe slithered around Finny's neck and wouldn't let go. Finny stayed put so he wouldn't hurt the adder.

Snake squeezed Finny's hand firmer and leaned closer. The footman pleaded softer, less gruff, "Please don't blame yourself. I hate it when you don't value yourself."

Finny felt a sense of icy dread hit his heart as Goethe let go of his neck. He slowly sat up and faced Snake. Finny squared his shoulders and asked, "So then you don't like me any more? You want... you want... to not be special friends anymore?"

Snake's eyes popped wide open. "Absolutely not! I was trying to say that I value you a great deal and it hurts my feeling when I see you not value yourself. I want you more than anything!" Snake stiffened up and suddenly gripped Finny's shoulders. He fixed Finny with an intense gaze.

"Finnian, I love you."

Finny's chest and throat tightened. Hot tears started rolling down his cheeks as he trembled under Snake's hands. Finny admitted softly with profound embarrassment, "No one has ever told me that before. Not in any way before. I mean, I know Mey-rin and Bard care for me a lot. I don't doubt that. I never had parents I knew, so never heard those words in that way, either. It's just, this is the first time I've heard those words from anyone."

Snake looked stunned and shook his head. He then gave Finny a subtle smile. "I'm very surprised, since you're the most lovable person I've ever met. I'm very lucky you want to spend your time with me."

Finny's sense of embarrassment gradually faded into joy. This sophisticated person still found worth in Finny, in spite of his all of his flaws. The gardener's hand went to Snake's left forearm. Snake said it didn't hurt at all anymore, but Finny knew Snake still didn't look at the branding.

Snake seemed to read Finny's thoughts from the touch and said, "It's kind of a promise to you I made, what Mister Claude did. I want to be there for you and love you. I just want to take away your pain." Snake started wiping the tears from Finny's cheeks. "Please don't cry. Unless... you don't want to be with me any more?"

Finny felt panic hit hard. He suddenly threw his arms around Snake's chest and hugged tight. "No! Please don't leave me! I want you a lot!"

Snake whimpered hoarsely. "Finny! Grip! Now! Air!"

Finny stopped his embrace and scampered across his small bed. He babbled, "I'm so sorry! I love you, too, and I don't want you to be mad at me because I don't..."

They both paused and stared at each other for several long minutes. Snake took up a blanket at the foot of Finny's bed. He wrapped it around Finny and lofted the younger boy in his arms. Finny felt baffled, but he didn't fight against Snake as he carried him from the servants' quarters.

"Where are you taking me?"

Snake pressed a quick kiss to Finny's forehead. "I'm taking you to our home."

Finny wrapped his arms around Snake's neck. He wasn't afraid of where Snake was taking him. So long as Snake was there, that would be home. Still, he hoped Snake would be patient with him, the concept of "home" was still pretty new.

Finny wasn't surprised they ended up in the footman's room. Finny let Snake settle him on the narrow bed and give him a sweet, gentle kiss on the lips. Snake asked, as he nervously trembled, "Could this be your home? With me? And my friends?"

Finny's face flushed as he admitted, "I don't know what home means, quite, but I think you're offering me something very special. I want you to show me what home means. So, yes, I want this to be my home."

Snake looked embarrassed and wouldn't quite meet Finny's eyes. "I know the room is small, but I'll ask if we can have something bigger soon. I'll ask Black... Sebastian, I mean... I want to give you what you deserve."

Finny giggled and shook his head with a bright smile. "Don't be so serious. It's Christmas Eve. We can think about those things later. Right now, I love this place you brought me to. It's your room, it's your space, so I'm honored you brought me here. I don't care about the size or anything else. I just care that we're together."

Finny felt the most searing kiss he'd ever received from Snake. Then Snake froze and gasped. "Your back! Is it sore?"

"I'm fine." Finny put his hands on Snake's cheeks and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm tougher than I look. Please, it's been a long time since we've... been, you know... together." His face got blazing hot. "I really like it and miss it," Finny confessed in a soft, nervous voice.

"I know. I want the same thing, but only if you're well enough." Snake's serious tone caught Finny's attention.

Finny nodded and asked, "Please?"

Snake nodded, and Finny settled on the bed. He let Snake have his way, both giving and taking affection. Finny looked over the edge of the bed and saw the snakes hadn't followed. He admitted he was still a little shy around them, when it came to Snake and him having these moments.

Snake then asked Finny, nuzzling his neck, "We usually do things with our clothes still on. Would you mind if we did it without them? All the way off? I know you're bashful, but please show me you trust me. If you're not ready, I'd understand and I'll wait on you. Just don't feel you have to right now. The choice is yours alone."

Finny's stomach fluttered; this made him tremble horribly, but he nodded and let Snake remove his undergarments one-by-one. He bit his bottom lip and closed his eyes. He tried to relax, but he wasn't doing a good job. Finny gradually relaxed when he saw Snake was just laying beside him, admiring him and giving him soft caresses all over. It made Finny feel so special and so wanted.

"You know, I read some more in that book I took from Trancy House. There are new things I want to try with you, but I want to go very slowly. I just want you to trust me and be comfortable with me, first."

Finny took a deep breath and looked over to Snake's nightstand; the book was there, along with a journal, quill, and inkwell. Finny started wondering what Snake was writing, but he decided to pull himself into what was in front of him.

Finny smiled up at Snake and said, "I want to trust you."

Snake nodded. "Fair is fair." Snake then stood by his bed and took off all his clothes. He drew up a blanket over their nude bodies. "Does this make you more comfortable for now? The cover over us?"

"Yes," Finny said, letting Snake hold him in trembling arms. When Snake's hand started roaming over Finny's body, his pulse raced. He had to have more of this! It was too intoxicating.

"Are you afraid of me? I sense you're hot and shaking."

"No! Not at all! I want you."

"I misread you then," Snake said. "I guess I have to learn about you, too."

It wasn't long before they both were slaked and holding each other tightly. Finny enjoyed Snake's soft caresses as his climax was drifting away. He fell into a deep, restful sleep, giving Snake his utmost trust over his well-being.

* * *

Snake settled Finny onto his bed when he mentally heard Oscar call him from outside the door. He tucked blankets around Finny for warmth and modesty. He was in such a deep sleep, so Snake didn't think he'd notice he was gone.

He quickly threw on underclothes, clothes, and a robe; he then darted outside and saw Oscar curled around Sebastian's neck. Snake closed the door gingerly and said, "I take it you knew I needed to talk to you?"

"Yes, about Van Bogart spying," Sebastian answered and held out his arm towards Snake. Snake held out his arm, and Oscar slithered from the butler to the footman. Oscar settled on Snake's shoulders and then projected a deep, deep sorrow into Snake's head. Snake felt startled and worry hit him, so hard his stomach clenched.

"Thank you for sending your friends to spy on Van Bogart. He'll leave tomorrow for Cambridge, hopefully. He seems a little too interested in what's going on at the Phantomhive Estate, according to your friends."

Snake was a little shocked. No one else could read his friends' thoughts like he could. Then again, Sebastian was a very bizarre man. He didn't question Sebastian, figuring the man wouldn't give him a straight answer anyway. They walked a little further down the hallway and found an empty alcove.

Snake explained Van Bogart's spying. Sebastian nodded and said, "I had a phone call tonight from a Doctor Kozumi. He had a lot of information about Van Bogart's organization, and that leads me to a very uncomfortable conversation I have to have with you. You see, I've been looking to solve a problem for one of the Phantomhive servants. Doctor Kozumi has pointed me in a direction."

"Before you tell me about that, I need to let you know something." Snake squared his shoulders and said, "I've invited Finny to live with me. In my room as my... mate. I promise we'll be discrete, but it's what we both want. I know it has nothing to do with Van Bogart and all those concerns, but I needed to get that off my chest."

"What you have told me, potentially, has everything to do with Van Bogart and everything else we've been talking about." Sebastian then laid a heavy hand on Snake's upper arm. A concerned frown was now on the butler's face. "There are things playing out that concern Finnian, and you need to be aware of them. There is one particular thing I need to tell you about him, since you made the offer to live your life with him."

Snake's mouth grew dry and he started trembling. "It's bad news, isn't it?"

Sebastian said, "Yes. Let's go to the butler's pantry and talk."

To be continued.


	5. Chapter 5

Paradise, part 5

Sebastian served Snake a hot toddy in a plain, tea cup. He took it with trembling hands and fought not to bite deeply into his bottom lip, not that he would poison himself, that wasn't possible, but he did not want to show weakness in front of the butler. He felt absolutely sick to his stomach with the news Sebastian had just told him. The idea of losing Finny so soon tore his heart to shreds.

He had been looking forward to making plans for their future. Finny was too rare a find and too precious to let slip away. Snake took a sip of the toddy and calmed the storm of emotions threatening him. He did NOT want to be alone again, now that he had found his mate. He had to think logically and practically for Finny's sake. The numbing effects of the alcohol were slowly helping calm him, so he could think a little clearer.

The dark butler took a seat across the table from Snake and said, "So now that you know about Finnian's condition, you have to make some choices. Do you want to keep pursuing a relationship with him?"

"Absolutely," Snake answered without a second thought. "I'll take every minute with him I can have."

"We've made plans for him. I need to let you know the details."

"I don't care about any appointment you and the young master made with Undertaker Crevan! Is there is no way to reverse what's been done to him, asks Oscar?" Snake asked stiffly, wanting to ignore the word "details." It reminded him of that hated creep, Undertaker Crevan, and the horrible cruise he had been on with Master Ciel. What did Snake care about a funeral for Finny right now? He wasn't just going to give up, not until the very last moment!

Snake mentally sent Oscar to watch after Finny. He told the grass snake to let him know if the gardener woke and needed him.

"We are attempting to find a way to mitigate the negative effects of the chemicals he was given. Hence, Doctor Kozumi's call earlier. Kozumi was a close friend of the young master's grandfather, and he still has some German connections with a lot of information. By the way, that's how Tanaka came to be hired here all those decades ago; Kozumi and Tanaka are relatives. All those connections are starting to give us important keys."

"Keys? Can this Doctor Kozumi heal Finny?"

"Not alone. There is another doctor by the name of Issac Gilmore he needs to consult. Unfortunately, according to Kozumi, the man went into hiding because of his egregious crimes against humanity. He did something truly horrifying to four people and is trying to atone for what he's done."

"I don't care about that," Snake said flatly with a glower. He chugged the rest of his drink and asked, "Where is this man? I'll convince him to come help my mate, no matter what."

"It may not be so easy, but we do have something that does benefit our search. It would seem Van Bogart has some connections to the cartel Gilmore was associated with. We have some luck with us by him showing up, so I'm going to encourage Van Bogart to stay so we can get some information."

Sebastian gave a gentle smile as he poured Snake another toddy from a tea pot. The butler said, "We'll figure this out. Kozumi is on his way, and he said he'd do everything he could to convince Gilmore, but..." Snake shivered as Sebastian's tone grew dour. "...he's very guilt ridden about the four people he harmed in the past, so he will want to stay with them and not be found easily."

Snake gulped down the alcohol laden drink and stood. He gave Sebastian a firm expression. "I don't care where that man hides. I'll find him and bring him here to heal Finny. That's all I care about at this very moment. I appreciate what Earl Phantomhive has done for me, and I am in debt to him and you, but I will not let Finny pass from my life without a fight.

"If I have to quit Phantomhive service for that, I will. But know this," Snake then felt himself give Sebastian a very icy expression, "I am taking Finny with me if it comes to that. I've never felt something so strong towards someone. I refuse to forsake him. Not ever. I'm his keeper, now, and I take that responsibility very seriously."

"I don't think you understood everything earlier when I said 'details.' You thought I meant with his funeral and final arrangement with Undertaker Crevan. That's not quite what I meant. There is something you need to accept that you will fight against."

Snake felt a little suspicious and accepted another drink from Sebastian. Snake asked, "What am I missing?"

"If a cure for Finny isn't found by the time he starts suffering, the young master has order me to take his life, because he will likely turn into a mindless monster with a strengthen no one could match. If I'm absent to do the task, then Bardroy and Mey-rin agreed to end Finnian's suffering. After he's deceased, the young master would let you decide what you would want to do with his remains. The Phantomhive household would pay for anything you choose, of course."

Snake's stomach clenched. He dropped the china tea cup and stumbled back. It crashed on the marble floor and shattered. He shook his head and fought back his light-headed nausea. Snake felt his chest getting very heavy. "That won't happen! I'll take him with me! I'll take my mate someplace where he won't be murdered!"

Sebastian gave him a gentle sigh and a shake of the head. "Do you really think you can hide him from me?"

Snake shivered and his stomach grew colder; he had always known Sebastian wasn't natural from the first day he met him. He put off heat and odor, but it wasn't natural, it was a lot like Mister Claude, when he thought about it, not entirely from this world. He shook his head and said softly, "No," knowing there was no escape.

"Finnian is a Phantomhive servant, and he deserves dignity for all he's done for the young earl. I know you have you have a special connection with Finnian, therefore I would never ask for the same agreement I made with Bardroy and Mey-rin. Just understand, Finny was in what was called the 'S' group. There were thirteen children in each group.

"He was one of two-hundred-forty-seven experiments. He was the only survivor, not just because he was forced to kill some of the others. Some of the chemicals used had horrific side effects. The 'S' phase was finished and they were going to start on a 'T' group based on Finny's results. He was their greatest success at the moment."

"So what happened to those people that harmed him?" Snake asked.

"I persuaded them that young boys should play in the outdoors," Sebastian said blandly before flashing a subtle smile. "After all, what kind of butler would I be if I couldn't do that much?"

Snake nodded and turned to leave, however Sebastian placed a hand on his shoulder to halt him. The butler said, "Do not tell Finnian, yet. Wait until we can give him some hope. Think things over in your head, and then we'll talk again. Are we clear?"

Snake's first instinct was to run upstairs, take Finny in his arms, and tell him everything he'd just learned. He fled the butler's pantry, his emotions churning in his heart so rapidly he couldn't decipher them. He burst into his room and went right to the edge of his bed. He was about to shake Finny awake, but the blond stirred, yawned, and opened his wide, turquoise eyes.

Snake froze as those groggy eyes came to life. Finny gave him a drowsy smile and asked, "Are you okay? You left?"

Snake felt as if an icicle stabbed him through the chest. He couldn't bring himself to mar Finny's trust in the other Phantomhive servants and cause him pain. It would just be too cruel. He had vowed to keep Finny's beautiful heart safe and unscathed. He had to do as he promised. Snake forced himself to trust Sebastian that they were close to finding Doctor Gilmore. He'd hang his hopes on that, but in the meanwhile, he'd make Finny's life as wonderful as he could.

He caressed Finny's cheek and said, "I had a small task I had to do. Sorry I left you alone. Were you fine?"

Oscar slithered onto Finny's pillow and flicked out his tongue. He reported to Snake that Finny had slept, but had tossed and turned.

Finny blushed and said, "I kept having a strange dream, but I'm fine now." Snake was glad to see Finny wouldn't lie to him; Snake did feel a little guilty spying on Finny with his friends, but right now he needed to to know everything. He needed to be close to Finny and take care of him as much as he could. "Snake, you look so sad. Are you okay? Your face just got really pale. You look so upset all of the sudden."

Snake felt his jaw tighten as those sweet, innocent eyes looked up at him. They were so full of trust. When Snake couldn't answer at first, Finny sat up and let the blankets fall off his soft shoulders. Snake felt his breath leave as he took in Finny's beautiful body. Finny put a smile on his face and gave a slight, charming chuckle.

"Snake, it's Christmas now! Let's go have some fun." Then Finny's face grew serious when Snake knew his face hadn't softened. "What is it? You still look so sad, almost sick."

Snake forced a smile on his face, knowing Sebastian was right. They had to find some hope before they told Finny. Looking into those eyes that should never have witnessed any bloodshed, that should be so innocent... Snake just couldn't do it. He couldn't destroy Finny's trust in Sebastian, Bard, and Mey-rin; it would be the nastiest thing he could ever do to Finny.

He had to let things play out and hope that Sebastian found Gilmore in time. However, he was still going to have words Bardroy and Mey-rin. He had to let them know he'd fight them tooth and nail if the time came they went after Finnian.

"Aww... look! They're so cute!" Finny suddenly declared as the snakes slithered up on the bed and clustered on Finny's lap. Snake felt their anxiety over Finny. The snakes were worried about Finny's health. He mentally reassured them and they all told him they'd do anything to make sure Finny lived a full, rich life. His friends had really grown to care about and trust Finny a great deal, even though he still kind of treated them like cats.

"Let's sneak down and trade presents before anyone wakes up. And then we'll make some hot chocolate?" Finny asked gleefully. "I even have a present for these boys and girls." Finny smiled and patted the snakes' heads as they projected dread in Snake's head over Finny's well-being.

* * *

"...and that's when I took it for her. And that's why I left the grim... but it wasn't all her... as for me... looking... schizophrenia, but her brother-in-law... rid of ones' mind is so liberating!... She gave me her insanity and I gave her freedom, a very equivalent trade... bureaucracy, and you should know that... job gave me more... even humans like her are so frail... even precognition doesn't save an exceptional... from the scythe." There was a snicker and then more words. "Unless I say so."

Grell moaned as the Undertaker's voice filtered into his head. He sat up as he tried to process all those words thrown at him. Again, he was in a wagon bed, this time with his glasses. His hands were still bound, though. "Where the hell are we?!" Grell demanded, looking around at the snowy countryside.

The Undertaker looked over his shoulder from the seat he was guiding the horses from. "No need to get testy. We're going to a place you have a fondness for. Some fireworks are about to happen. A new name appeared in my book, but I don't fancy reaping the lad in the least. He'll live a lot longer than my book says." Then the mad grim reaper chuckled again. He sang, "She said she wanted freedom, I guess I set her free. Now I'm alone and Monday's coming around, and it's whiskey and me."

"Listen, Adrian! Stop with this craziness and let me work out something between you and Will." Then a cold pit formed in his stomach. "What do you mean? Did you use another bookmark?"

"Oh yes. Nikolay Nemtsov won't get a scratch until I say so. I promised his mother something."

Grell frowned and knew Will was going to chew him out over this, big time. He demanded, again, "Where are we going?"

"The Phantomhive Estate. So no skin off your nose. Of course," the Undertaker burst out laughing, "you don't look ready to go courting that butler. You have a few bruises on that pretty face and all."

"Don't you dare put me in front of Sebby looking like this! Adrian, I will never forgive you! I'll turn you in to Will if you put me in front of Sebastian like this!"

"Go ahead," the Undertaker drawled. "Turn me in. But I have six lives I'm toying with now. I'm not going to let you take away my toys so easy."

Grell took a deep breath through clenched teeth and started to try to work out an escape plan. Will was going to be really pissed off that the Undertaker had another bookmarked name. He was going to have to reap those six and drag the Undertaker to account for his games.

And damn it! He'd have to find a way to fix his hair and powder to cover his bruises before they reached the Phantomhive Estate!

* * *

"...and so we need to tell her," Albert said, laying the French newspaper in front of his male companions seated at the kitchen table.

Jet said, "You know she'll want to go to the funeral. She's really thinks her brother hangs the moon and stars."

"This is a problem. The Black Ghost know that Jean-Paul Arnoul is her brother, and they'll wait for us to surface so she can grieve. They'll set up a trap for us," Ivan said. "We don't tell her. He's dead and gone now, so her tears don't matter to him."

Ivan didn't miss Albert's scowl. The man was a widower who'd lost his wife forty years ago, but it was a still a sore subject, in spite of having a new lover. It was that lover, Jet, that nodded and said, "I wouldn't be surprised if the Black Ghost had set this up to catch us again. We have to stay away!"

Ivan stayed out of the argument between Albert and Jet as Gilmore came in with his arm around Francoise's shoulders. She was dabbing her eyes with one of Gilmore's handkerchiefs; Ivan knew it was too late to do as he had planned and keep Francoise ignorant.

There was the tingling at the edge of that one ability of his that never had worked properly: empathy. Jet, rather than argue with her, crossed his arms and looked at the ground. Albert gave her some words of condolences and then took her in his arms and let her sob on his shoulder.

"We need to go to France," Gilmore insisted.

"We'll make this happen, Francoise," Albert swore. Ivan gritted his teeth at Albert's promise. This situation had the potential to lead them into danger that even Ivan's abilities couldn't protect them from.

He laid his left palm over his left, brown eye. Aunt Katrina's abilities still hadn't manifested. Fortunately, neither had her defect: schizophrenia. But, there was a nagging voice in his head that urged him to wait a little longer. The voice came from a boy that was heterochromatic as well. He would talk with this person in the future, it was someone he had yet to meet. He'd make a sacrifice and everything else was so unclear.

There was someone with turquoise eyes he was destine to meet. That would be the cure and the key to fixing his corrosion. He was to inflict an incredible pain on this person, but that didn't matter to Ivan. If someone's suffering helped him win against the Black Ghost, so be it. With that cure and key, he could then protect his companions, and then with them, he could defeat the Black Ghost and save the world.

* * *

Finny knelt in front of the Christmas tree in the empty, dark parlor. He noticed that Snake was starting to shiver, even wrapped in blankets, since there was no fire going. Finny quickly found his gift for Snake and insisted, "You must open yours first."

Snake took the present with shivering hands. Finny was smiling and bouncing on his knees impatiently. Finally, Snake opened the top of the box and peered in. He cocked his head to the side; his eyes narrowed. He stuck out his tongue, rolled it around his mouth, and then gave Finny a baffled expression.

"What is it?"

"Hat and gloves, of course? Don't you like them?"

"Well, yes, I like them very much, but what are they made of? They smell like no animal I've encountered before, and they're giving off heat as if the fur was still attached to a living creature."

Snake held up the ushanka and gloves. Both were white with blue trim. Finny looked bashful as he touched the tips of his index fingers together. "The boy I got them from gave a strange story about them. He said it was an elk from another country... or something like that... realm... maybe is what he said? Called Relis? Maybe Celes? Then he teased me by claiming a wizard owned them before and put a spell on them or something." Finny certainly didn't want Snake to think he was gullible, so he quickly added, "But I don't believe in that sort of thing. Magic and all."

Snake gave him a serene smile and put on the hat. "It's the warmest thing. It's so soft. I'm very happy with them."

"Look at your other gift. That's what I originally was trading for," Finny begged excitedly.

Snake peered back into the box. His eyes popped open as he drew the kaleidoscope out. "This is very beautiful. Finny, this must have cost you a great deal, Wadsworth says."

"The shop owner let me work it off so it was fine. Go ahead, look in it," Finny said as the snakes now joined them and clustered on the Christmas tree skirt. Snake did as Finny asked. He gasped at what he saw and then his face grew very distraught. He wouldn't put it down. "What do you see?"

"I see my mother," he answered softly, not looking away from the kaleidoscope's eyepiece. She's in an apple orchard. How... how is this possible? Both of her eyes were normal and she was actually smiling. How did you know what she looked like?" Snake asked, lowering the kaleidoscope and wearing a spooked expression.

"I don't know how it works. Again, the boy claimed it was magic, but I think he was teasing me. But still," Finny felt his cheeks get warm, "I admit I can't say rightly how it works."

"This person sounds very strange. I don't like the idea of you dealing with very strange people."

Finny's head drifted to one side and he gave a warm smile. "But I'm strange."

Snake sighed and shook his head. "Thank you, Finny. I really enjoy my gifts. Now for you. I really hope you like it. It has some meaning."

Snake handed Finny the brightly colored box. Finny tore into it with glee and lost his breath when he saw the gift. Finny picked up the silk flower gingerly and asked, "A poppy?"

"You told Count Trancy you'd only accept a poppy from me. I found out since then that it means pleasure." He took Finny's hand squeezed it. "Being with you gives me lots of pleasure and I wanted you to know that."

"The stones on it are lovely."

"Lady Elizabeth was so nice, she had them put in. They're spinels, and the center one is a topaz."

"I love it!" Finny gushed and threw his arm around Snake's neck. "Thank you so much. It does mean so much. I love you."

"I love you, too," Snake gasped from Finny's sudden rush of affection.

Snake parted from him and smiled, feeling full of joy at Finny's acceptance of the gift. "Let's go make some hot chocolate," Snake suggested, wanting some more warmth, but amazed at how well the ushanka was working. He put on the gloves and was shocked at how his whole body was starting to feel a stable level of warmth.

"I have something for your friends. Look!" Finny said, excited as he pointed to a strange pole in the corner. It was attacked to a base and had random, narrow holes in it. It was coarse wood with small bristles on it.

"What is it, Emily asks?"

"It's to help peal their skin off when they molt. If they climb around it, it'll catch their skin and help them. Sebastian suggested it. But..." Finny pouted a little. "...Bard said we have to keep it in your room or the hothouse. He got a little queasy at the idea." Finny suddenly felt a little embarrassed, but asked, "So do you molt, too?"

Snake, rather than get offended, nodded. "Only in small patches, and it happens in the spring, mainly. When I get growth spurts it happens more frequently. I hope you understand."

"I would never get grossed out by that. It's just your skin and how you are. You can't help it. It wouldn't put me off in the least, and I'll help take care of your skin when it happens. Sebastian says it's pretty itchy and not very comfortable."

"It doesn't feel really good at all, they all say," Snake admitted as the snakes darted to the new "scratching post." They climbed all over the post and played in the Christmas tree. "Look, Finny, they really do like it. You did a good job."

"I hoped so." Finny felt such joy at seeing the snakes play and seeing Snake just gaze at the kaleidoscope again. A few minutes later, Snake set aside the kaleidoscope and took the silk poppy from Finny's hand.

Finny let Snake pin it to his vest. "So you'll wear it? You'll let people know how I feel?"

"Of course I'll wear it. It humbles me to get this from you. I only wish..." Finny stopped himself and grew shy. "I only wish we didn't have to hide so much. Bard kind of told me how things were different for us and why, but I didn't understand everything."

Finny felt a sudden rush of sorrow come over him as Snake laid his hand on his shoulders. "I don't care about what others think. I don't care that you can't have my children. You are my mate anyway, and I want to live with you." Finny could tell Snake was choking up and he was getting worried. Snake embraced him and murmured in Finny's ear, "I intending on living with you for a very, very long time."

* * *

Van Bogart got the news, early Christmas morning, through the Black Ghosts' delivery system, clockwork robots that could travel and move very quickly. This one was Venus, and she had come knocking at his window.

"It would seem the clockwork cyborgs will surface soon. Arnoul died, so Cyborg 003 would want to go pay her respects to her brother." Still, he was wanting to work on getting S-012 and Katrina's son back under Black Ghost control. He decided to get some hot milk and think about how to do this all at once.

In the darkened main hallway with the Christmas tree he saw his two targets, ironically, kissing passionately in front of the tree. He was revolted at first, but then a smile played at his lips. He walked towards them and gave a fake cough. They parted and looked up at him with surprise and worry. He could tell they had been exchanging gifts by the torn gift wrap.

"So... it looks like you had an early Christmas. How about we have a conversation?"

To be continue.


	6. Chapter 6

Paradise, part 6

"And why did you bring me here?!" Grell howled in rage, still tied up.

"Wait for it," the Undertaker said slyly. Grell shivered. The Undertaker had plopped them down in a snow bank on the edge of the earl's snow covered garden. Any closer, and they'd be shot by the earl's servants for sure.

Grell sighed. He was frustrated with this situation. He'd pleaded, tried to reason, and threatened the Undertaker, all to no avail. He was hoping Sebastian would swoop in and rescue him. Grell then got a smile as his mind drifted into a fantasy involving the dark butler and a passionate thank you for a rescue.

"There they are," the Undertaker said softly and nodded to the edge of the forest bordering the estate. "Helen, Venus, Diana, Aphros, and Daphne."

Grell thought there was something wrong with his eyes. "Those five women look identical. I've seen triplets, but but quintuplets?"

"They're not real. They're clockwork robots. Van Bogart's dream girl, probably. All manufactured by an organization called the Black Ghost. They're hellbent on world domination or some such silly fantasy. But, you know how humans can be."

Grell admitted, "Those clockwork robots are very pretty, if that's your type. But I don't understand what we're doing looking for this Van Bogart person. Adrian! You've made no sense since you maliciously kidnapped me!" The Undertaker clamped his hand over Grell's mouth and hushed him.

Each of the five "women" had short, blond, spiky hair and large eyes. They appeared willowy, but Grell had a feeling he should not underestimate them. Something told him they were certainly dangerous, especially if a grim reaper of the Undertaker's caliber wasn't eager to get their attention.

When the Undertaker took his hand away, Grell whispered, "So why are you looking for this Van Bogart chap anyway? Did his name appear in your book as well?"

The Undertaker gave Grell a warm smile and said, "We're looking for Van Bogart's son, because his son's name did appear in my book. Remember, I bookmarked it? I'm going to go through the process of erasing his name. Like I said, I made a promise to that woman a long time ago. So now we wait until it begins. We won't have long, though. Van Bogart is a greedy bastard."

"Wait a minute? Erase the name from your book? You can't just do that... it's... it's... forbidden. It breaks the balance," Grell whispered in a hysterical tone and wide-eyes. That was the most taboo thing you could do as a grim reaper. Very difficult, but possible. "You'll have every grim reaper after your backside if you can accomplish such a thing. You know what erasure involves? It is NOT trivial. You'll harm yourself and the human, horribly. You really have gone barking mad."

"I told you I took her schizophrenia so her son or nephew wouldn't have to bear it. She broke apart her consciousness into three pieces. Her nephew got her psychic ability, she gave her son her collective knowledge, and well..." Then the Undertaker took on a charming smile and let out a giggle. "I got the best part. You think after taking on her insanity, taking on the sting of erasing a name from my grim reaper book intimidates me? Frankly though, it won't be the first time I've erased, but that's just between us." Grell didn't like that conspiratorial tone at all.

"I won't aide and abet you," Grell warned.

The Undertaker chuckled, brushed his own bangs away from his handsome face, and set his glasses high on the bridge of his nose. He tilted his head towards the Phantomhive manor. He stood and got his scythe ready.

He sliced Grell's bonds away and pointed his scythe at Grell's nose. "You leave before the show is over, I'll use that red hair of yours for a new weaving project and shove your scythe up your nose. Don't ask me where I'll shove your reaper book."

Grell gasped, his jaw dropped open. "You wouldn't dare." He looked at the gleam in the Undertaker's eyes and caved. "Okay, okay. Don't get violent."

The Undertaker said, "Here we go," when the quintuplets moved towards the manor house.

* * *

"A conversation about what, Longfellow asks?" Snake gently pushed Finny behind his back and inserted himself between Van Bogart and his mate.

"Your face, you look just like a woman I used to know. She ran off to have a son seventeen years ago. She bit the hand that fed her. You see, her name was Katrina Nemtsov. You seem to be the right age."

Snake's stomach grew heavy. He admitted, "My mother never told me her name."

He felt Finny's hands clamp onto his shoulders and the younger teen pressed himself to Snake's back. The snakes all put themselves between Snake and the burly Dutchman. Their tails were fooshing furiously; their aggravation and mistrust was evident.

Van Bogart laughed. He knelt on one knee and swiped his boot with a handkerchief. That's when Snake felt like he wanted to vomit. They were snake skin boots he was wearing. "Your mother's name was Katrina Nemtsov. Enough games. I know exactly who you are and where you came from, boy."

"You're an evil son-of-a-bitch to kill them, they all say," Snake said through a clenched jaw, his eyes growing hot and his head pounding. Then he met the man's eyes and asked something he needed to know from the horrid man. "You knew my mother?"

Van Bogart smirked and nodded. "Yes."

"Did you know my father, too?"

"Oh yes. I know him very, very, very well." Van Bogart then frowned. "You show none of his traits in the least. Your father is disappointed you don't reflect even a little bit of his genes, even though you should. Maybe you have his predator's blood in you."

Finny whispered desperately, "Don't listen to this man. Let's go to our room and forget this."

Snake took a deep breath, but it didn't calm him in the least. He'd wondered for the longest time about his family and why his mother had left his father. He asked the question he dreaded the answer to.

Snake asked, "How did you know my mother?"

"I'm your father," he replied in an impassive tone.

Snake fell back into Finny's arms, unable to speak. That's when Finny clenched Snake around his shoulders and bellowed at Van Bogart, "Get out of here and leave him alone! You are NOT his father! Snake has no father! He never has! Not Lord Kelvin and certainly NOT you!"

Snake could no longer control his friends; his emotions were just too out of control and blocking his ability to communicate with them. Their minds were out of his awareness and they were wild once again. The snakes went right for Van Bogart. The man drew two pistols and leaped back, holding them at bay. "I'll teach you how to behave! Once I kill your pets, you and your little boy-whore are coming with me!"

"Not on your life will you kill one of them!" Finny shouted and bolted away from Snake. The footman watched in horror at the loud bang. Then Finny seized up and fell to the floor, protecting the snakes. Snake saw the blood on Finny's shirt and his mind went numb. He scrambled over towards Finny's inert body and scooped him up.

"Finny! Don't leave me like this. It's too soon!" Snake begged, pressing his forehead to Finny's. Finny's skin was just growing so clammy all of the sudden and put Snake's sharp mind into overdrive.

Van Bogart put a gun's barrel to Snake's forehead, which stopped his plans of escape, and said, "You're on borrowed time. It makes no difference to me if you live or die. Your mother cared about saving your life." Van Bogart's face grew into a nasty sneer and then a mocking smile. "Your father doesn't care about anything except your obedience. Same with that boy you have with you. I'll kill him, too, and take his body back to the Black Ghost. They can still study his corpse. He belongs to them anyway; I saw his tattoo.

"You belong with the Black Ghost, too. Get used to the idea that you and that thing in your lap are property of the Black Ghost." Van Bogart's smile grew sinister as he cocked his gun. "Or you can die."

There was a sudden whoosh of thick drapes and some dark figure approaching them. Snake grabbed Finny close and tried to reconnect with his friends' minds, but it wasn't happening. They were now totally wild, and worse yet, the temperature was dropping because of the open window. He was just too panicked over Finnian to get control over them and calm them. The cold, though, would be dangerous to them very soon.

"Well, well, well... Van Bogart, we finally meet. I suggest lowering that gun from Nikolay's head. You're not the one that dictates that boy's length of life, I am."

Snake looked over in spite of the cold barrel on his forehead. It was a tall man with long, gray-haired that had broken into the Phantomhive manor. He had glowing green eyes behind glasses and a large scythe draped over his shoulder. Snake shivered when he recognized Undertaker Crevan.

Van Bogart turned his guns on the intruder. "We've met?"

"Not exactly, but someone I loved asked me to make your life rather uncomfortable if you went after her son. And that's what I intended to do."

Snake held Finny tight as he shuddered; the younger boy's eyes rolled back in his head and he started going into shock. He wondered why the other servants weren't coming down to help them. Surely they heard the noise! He heard noise, now, coming from upstairs. Sebastian, Mey-rin, and Bard would hopefully get here soon.

* * *

Bard had tossed in his bed. He wasn't used to having a room all to himself, not that the novelty wasn't welcome in some ways. In the army he always had to share tents, and he always shared bedrooms during the summer with his visiting cousins growing up.

He never did like those three morons from Baton Rouge that would travel upwards and stay over at his grandmother's house in Kansas City. They always tried to make him so paranoid about "swamp animals" creeping into the house and played mean pranks. Yeah, Bard admitted, he wasn't the biggest fan of reptiles because of his estranged cousins. Recently, he wished he was allowed to shoot first and ask questions later.

Sharing a room with Finny was a different case altogether; he was like a favorite kid-brother that needed watching after. That's why he was so nervous at him being gone overnight, even though he knew Finny was probably just with Snake. He worried about Finny getting so serious about Snake so soon. The only thing that stilled his tongue was knowing Finny's life expectancy was very short.

He really hoped Snake was treating Finny with the dignity he deserved. He felt Finny was too young to engage in a physical relationship, but he wasn't Finny's father. He had to let Finny make his own choices and only advise.

Bard sat up on his bed, lit a candle, and then lit a cigarette. He blew out a puff of smoke in aggravation. He admitted to himself Snake wasn't a bad kid, he just had bad pets, pets that belonged in a swamp.

He noticed something at his window. It was bizarre. It was a woman with short blond hair coming through. She opened his window, smashing the glass. He hopped up and got the pistol from under his pillow wondering why Pluto hadn't howled.

* * *

Mey-rin was shocked awake at the shattering glass. Her instincts caused her to grab the guns under her bed and bring them to bear on the short-haired, blond woman in her room.

The woman moved so damn quick and Mey-rin had trouble targeting her. She tumbled out of her bed and fired two shots that hit the target in the chest. Instead of blood, there was an oozing black trickle. A faint smell of smoke was coming from the target, too. The target still kept coming, to Mey-rin's horror.

* * *

Tanaka heard her. He was waiting for her. She weighed twice what a normal woman would, but he used the woman's own inertia against her. He flipped her on her back and crushed her neck with a decisive chop to her neck.

He knew from the start this wasn't a living thing. Still, this was dangerous. He had to go support the others right away. They were good, but they were still very young.

* * *

Pluto chased the strange woman around the yard and started barking at her. He tried to set her afire, but to no avail. She was so fast. He put on a burst of speed and caught her arm. She swung her fist into his nose, but he didn't let go. He struggled to drag her towards Sebastian.

* * *

"What's the meaning of all this?" Ciel shouted as he ran down the stairs. He paused in front of the Christmas tree and took in the sight. Snake was holding Finny, who was bleeding profusely from his chest. Van Bogart was facing off with the Undertaker and the snakes were in disarray, heading every which way around the room.

It was his Aunt Frances that brought order. She drew two pistols, targeted Van Bogart, and demanded, "What are you doing to my nephew's servants? Have you harmed one? You've damaged his noblesse oblige! How dare you!"

Ciel ground his teeth. Always Aunt Frances not letting him take care of his business when she was around. How was he to court Lizzy this way!

Van Bogart leaped to his feet and chuckled. "Little ladies like yourself shouldn't handle guns."

Ciel cringed, knowing the man was as good as dead. "I am Marchioness Midford, sir! You'll put down those guns and give an accounting."

"Ohhhh... I didn't dawn on me who you were last night when we had that dinner. Now it dawns on me. You've made quite a reputation, hunting big game on several continents. I hear you're even friends with people like that American, Buffalo Bill Cody. That won't help you here, wench."

Ciel now hunkered behind a statue at hearing his aunt called that word. Aunt Frances was NOT someone to mess with. There were times he wondered how his father ever made it to adulthood being raised with this woman. Yes, the Dutchman's head wold be mounted somewhere in the Midford's manor house. He was wondering where Sebastian was as shots began to fly. And Mey-rin, for that matter.

Ciel peeked out from the statue and realized Snake and Finny were in a lot of danger, now, being in the middle of a gunfight, unsheltered. He was grateful to see Uncle Alexis and his bratty cousin Edward charge to his servants' rescue, swords drawn.

They were stopped in their tracks by the Undertaker swinging his scythe. And then Ciel wanted scream bloody murder. That idiotic, redheaded grim reaper hopped in through the smashed widow and stood back to back with the Undertaker, scythes lofted. He knew they were friends, but now this was trouble if they were throwing in their lot together. He'd ask Sebastian if he could write a formal complaint letter to Will T. Spears.

"I could really kill that jerk," Ciel snarled, accepting, but never quite having gotten over losing Madam Red to Grell.

"Don't worry, my lord. I'll evict them all."

Ciel shivered and sneered at Sebastian, who was leaning over him. "Fix this now! And protect Lizzie's family. The sooner we get rid of Van Bogart, the sooner we can help Finny and Snake."

"Yes, my lord. But know that Finny is busy."

Ciel flinched as a bullet crumbled plaster flying through the air. "What do you mean by that?"

"He's visiting a friend he made. It was lucky for him to have encounter the Dimensional Wizard, otherwise, his name may have popped up in a grim reaper's book."

"Wait! What the...?" Ciel said as Sebastian jumped into the fray.

* * *

Sebastian had seen the symbol that had had been embossed on Finny's left wrist a month ago. It was a glowing, purple sigil that couldn't be seen by anyone in the human realm, even by Finny himself. It appeared like a demon's contact mark, however, they had a different craft to them.

Sebastian had said nothing to Finny, and he did nothing to alter Finny's contract for a very good reason.

At first, he mistook it for Clow Reed's sigil. The were very few Dimensional Wizards and Witches that existed who could engage in contracts, or wishes, similar to demons, but they were restricted from taking souls. They could take everything up to that. If the person they contracted with was willing to give up an equivalent amount, there was no limit to the wish.

Clow Reed was the reason Sebastian held back. He was someone not even a denizen of Hades would cross without a lot of forethought. That, and the mark on Finny's wrist seemed like it wouldn't interfere in his service. He could tell there would be some suffering, but Finny willingly chose it. Sebastian figured it must have been a very special wish for Finny to acquiesce to pain. Finny had a pathological fear of pain, because of what he'd been put through.

He would sense if Finny had made a wish with a Dimensional Wizard that would interfere with his service to Phantomhive. So, Sebastian let it pass. Dealing with a Dimensional Wizard was not a trivial task, even for a demon butler.

Only a few days ago, he'd realized Finny had made his wish with someone besides Clow Reed. The sigil on Finny's wrist was slightly changed from Reed's. It contained a bird rather than just the sun and moon. Sebastian did some research and talked to a water sprite. Plenty of them lived in England.

Come to find out, this was Kimihiro Watanuki, the one that was apprenticed under Ichihara Yuuko. He was the one everyone was whispering about in the spirit realm. He might not be able to physically leave his wish shop, but his reach was limitless thanks to his dreamscape.

Which frustrated Sebastian. Demon's didn't really sleep, and they certainly didn't dream. That meant he couldn't talk to Watanuki directly. And Sebastian couldn't set foot near Watanuki's shop, since demon's couldn't cast wishes; that was solely for humans.

Still, from what he'd heard, if Finny had made that particular Dimensional Wizard a friend, there wasn't much that could hurt him. A grim reaper could, because every human died at some point. That's why he mentally cursed seeing Undertaker Crevan and Grell Sutcliff show up.

* * *

"Where am I?" Finny asked himself as he woke. He looked around the landscape and realized he was in a grove of pink trees he didn't recognize. There was a small house with a strange, but simple, design. It stood at the edge of the pond. He walked towards it and was surprised to see the wish shop owner on the porch leaning on an elbow as he smoked his skinny pipe.

Finny blushed at Watanuki's loose burgundy kimono with white butterflies. Most of his body was visible, for goodness' sake! Then Finny realized he was wearing the vermilion kimono Mister Claude had given him and he felt very self-conscious. How was all this possible?

Watanuki disrupted his thoughts by saying, "Now, now, didn't I tell you you had to complete your portion for the wish to come true. That doesn't include getting shot and dying."

Finny collapsed to his hands and knees in front of the wish shop owner. "Am I...?"

"Dead? No." Watanuki sat up and gave a placid smile. "I caught your soul and took it into my dreamscape until your body can sustain it again. I really need you to deliver that diamond for me. Besides," Watanuki chuckled and puffed on his pipe, "I always enjoy playing with grim reapers." His face took on a dour expression. "They never will give me a straight answer about the former wish shop owner. If they told me if Yuuko-san was dead or alive, I'd stop harassing them. Until then, they can come pound on the wish shop fence until they get blue in the face. I could care less about their agenda until they give me answers about her."

Finny felt as though he was now a pawn of Watanuki. Still, it was better than being dead. He always fought for life, even during his bleak childhood. He looked up at Watanuki.

"So now what do you want from me?"

"Your body could die, your name is about to appear in a grim reaper's book. You being in my dreamscape will protect you, because the piece of you that turns into cinematic records is here, with me, under my sigil. All I want you to do is enjoy your stay. I'll change my dreamscape if you wish. Something that may entertain you more?"

Finny looked around after taking in the information. He then fought his anxiety and asked, "What about Snake? And the others? Can you help them?"

Watanuki's face took on a subtle frown. "A Dimensional Wizard has great power, but it comes with a great price. There is nothing I can do to influence your friend's well-being. But, he does have an ally. His mother had a great gift and used it to Snake's benefit."

"What kind of gift?"

Watanuki patted Finny on the shoulder and said, "She was insane and she gave it to the grim reaper she loved."

"Insanity! But...?"

Watanuki placed his finger over Finny's lips and hushed him. "You'll see. What most people consider a detriment can become a very powerful advantage."

To be continued.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: borrowed a bit from the grim reapers in Death Note about how they see their target and blended it with Black Butler.

Paradise, part 07:

Grell felt a tingle. His book had just received a new name. Darn that Will T. Spears for assigning him reaping duties while dealing with the Undertaker! He dodged some bullets and crouched behind the staircase. He opened his book and saw the new name and type of death: blood loss.

What baffled him was the name: S-012. Never in his career had he seen a non-standard name. Who ever it was never had parents long enough to tag him with a proper name. This person was branded with the first name a set of people he had encountered bestowed on him. Terrible to be assigned numbers, in Grell's estimation.

He was to reap S-012 now, and the target was close. He looked up and his glowing, green eyes spotted the target; grim reapers' glasses projected their targets' names above their heads so there was no mistaking. But also, grim reaper glasses projected something else unseen by humans: the "red string of fate." There was one connecting S-012's left pinkie with the snake boy's left pinkie. That meant those two were bound very tightly. It could be real trouble prying them apart.

Grell's target was the strawberry-blond boy, S-012, in the snake boy's arms. He was to take that cute kid's cinematic record. He remember spilling tea all over that particular sweet, cute boy, the earl's gardener. The boy had been irritated at first by Grell's presence at Madam Red's insistence.

In the end, Finny had been so very nice and taught Grell how to prune hedges. The boy had been very, very kind to him, so Grell was contemplating returning the favor and letting the boy live a little bit longer. After all, Grell was a hopeless romantic and loved to see lovers at least have a decent farewell.

Also, there was a problem with reaping S-012, Sebby would come after him with a vengeance. This was one of the butler's pet assassins. He feared Sebby more than Will, so he would ignore the name, at least for now. Still, he'd have to come around and reap him sooner or later.

Then he saw that he couldn't reap the kid anyway. He was now really hesitant because of the purple glow on the kid's wrist. It was a wizard's sigil with a bird in the center. That meant screwing with a Dimensional Wizard's granted wish. If Grell collected the soul of S-012 that meant he would have to pay compensation to the Dimensional Wizard, and Grell had no clue what the kid had bargained away. Grell was certainly not dumb enough to step into that trap.

Messing with a Dimensional Wizard wasn't something a grim reaper, an intelligent one, would go into blindly. There were rumors of one Dimensional Wizard wanting to raid the grim reaper library to find out about his former mistress.

Thankfully, that one had deliberately bound himself to his former mistress's wish shop and couldn't leave that particular dimensional void. The problem was, grim reapers couldn't enter dimensional voids and claim any souls if they were in there. Grell guessed S-012's soul... or Finny as he knew the kid... was in the dimensional void now.

If Finny contracted with that one particularly irritated Dimensional Wizard, and Grell tried to reap that boy, it'd be a mess that even Will couldn't rescue him from. Grell slammed his book shut, mentally cursed, and then refocused. He'd let that nice boy live... for now... for sure.

* * *

"But, umm... Mister Watanuki...?"

The pipe-smoking teen looked over to Finny and gave a lackadaisical smile. "Yes?"

"Please, please let me go back to my body. I need to protect the Phantomhive household! I promised to defend Master Ciel no matter what. I need to be by Snake's side! That man could hurt him."

"No. Snake won't be hurt, and your master has enough help at the moment."

"But..."

Watanuki took a drag off his pipe, a sip of sake, and said, "That promise you made to S-013 is worthless if I let you go back to your body now. He let you kill him so you could live. Don't disrespect the wish he made with Yuuko-san in the dreamscape.

"He paid the price of his life to Yuuko-san so you would have longer days than his; she accepted in spite of the taboo of accepting that particular price for a wish." Watanuki looked pained for a moment and then he looked to the dusk sky; his emotions leaving. His face was now dispassionate as he met Finny's eyes. "Yuuko-san pitied him a great deal to accept his price and make the wish possible. Now, it's my job as the wish shop owner to make sure her contracts are fulfilled, as well as any I grant myself.

"S-013 felt the same pain you did, so you must understand the chance he gave you to find a brighter future and affection. He was the one boy left to fight you, and he may have beaten you, but he begged you to kill him. He pulled his punches. You killed him with your bare hands, and his death hurt you a great deal.

"He cared about you, even though you weren't able to share anything except for a few conversations through cracks in a wall. You'd touch finger tips and talk about leaving together. All he desired was your happiness, because that's what you brought him: happiness. He saw you, like you saw the birds that could come into your cell."

Watanuki held out his hand and a swallow landed on it. He gently petted the small bird and gave Finny a firm gaze. Finny felt shocked; most people couldn't touch birds, but Watanuki had control of them. Finny could see it now; Watanuki was gentle and kind to them. Still, there was something more important he had to know from Watanuki than his affinity for birds.

"How did you know about him?" Finny asked in a whisper as he felt as though the blood drained from his face, his chest constricted. He hadn't talked about the dark-haired, green-eyed S-013 to anyone. He had barely even talked to S-013 outside the arena. He wasn't allowed, but Finny and S-013 had had an understanding. Finny would live, and S-013 would die. It had been something they had understood between them that cut Finny to his very soul.

Finny had always pushed S-013 to the back of his mind and never dealt with it, because the overwhelming guilt had always threatened to crush him. By all rights, he should be the dead one: S-013 was just a hair faster than Finny. S-013 had desired death, and Finny had desperately wanted to live; that settled their forced fights behind the scientists' backs. Anytime he thought of S-013, Finny wanted to vomit. He never, ever wanted to harm a living creature, especially a creature living in heavy despair like that boy.

"I see a lot in the dreamscape, and you dream a lot. Last night was a wild ride," Watanuki said, interrupting Finny's thoughts. "No, Snake won't be hurt. Snake's mother was in love with a grim reaper. And, he was in love with her. Snake'll be protected by the grim reaper, so relax. I promise I'll return you when the time is right." Watanuki gave him a gentle smile. "Have faith and look to the future. In the meanwhile," Watanuki rose and lofted his arm. "Fai is dreaming, so we can go visit Celes and you can see where your gifts to Snake came from."

"Really?" Finny asked, still not really wanting to leave Snake alone in a fight.

Suddenly, the landscaped changed from a pleasant spring into a violent winter storm. Snow and ice swirled around them. The bleak sky was dark and filled with clouds. Watanuki explained, "This is a land that never sees light."

Finny looked at their clothing. It was the same, light kimonos. "But I don't feel cold."

"Naturally. We're in a dream. I could let you feel it, but I'd rather you not come to harm now. Even in dreams, there is danger."

Finny's eye got caught by the huge castle in the sky. It seemed to be a glowing beacon in the night. Watanuki said, "Come. Let's experience Fai's dream." Finny nodded, let Watanuki take him by the hand, and they levitated in the air towards the castle.

* * *

"Grell, get Nikolay out of here," the Undertaker ordered. "Only Nikolay! Leave that other child."

"But..." Grell shut his mouth when the Undertaker's scythe swiped just and inch from his nose. "Okay, okay!" Grell then turned towards the snake boy. "Will's going to to wring my neck!" Grell marched over and grabbed Snake by the the back of the collar. "Let that other child go!"

Snake then bared his fangs, lowered his nictating membranes, and hissed. He clenched the gardener tighter to his chest. Grell demanded, "Stop being like that! I'm the one who has your boyfriend's name in my book and can reap him. So! Show me some respect! Now!" Grell bluffed, holding back the information he couldn't really reap Finny at this moment because of the interfering Dimensional Wizard.

Snake's drew back his fangs and cocked his head. Grell was just glad to see those gross membranes across the eyes rolled back. Grell glared and said, "That's right. If you want your boyfriend to live, you'll do as I say because he's mine to deal with. Now! Come on!"

"I will not leave him!"

"Trust me, he's well protected. We need to leave! Adrian isn't someone to mess with. Remember the cruise? You remember me now?"

Snake glared. "Finny is mine!"

"Silly, schoolboy crush! Let him go!" Grell started tugging at the stubborn snake boy.

Bullets flew and Grell lost his temper. He took a leaf from the Undertaker's book and slammed the handle of his modified scythe into the snake boy's head. The snake boy slumped over the gardener's inert body. Grell smirked, feeling in control of his existence once again.

That's when Sebastian skidded in front of Grell with his usual style and grace. He flung two dishes at Van Bogart, forcing the man towards Marchioness Midford's aim. "Grell, please take Finny with you, too. I'll deal with the Undertaker, if need be."

"But he'll kill me!" Grell pouted. Sebastian gave him one of those sexy, cold, cruel expressions and Grell relented, "Okay! I'm doing you a favor, but you better pay me back! And if I run a foul of that Dimensional Wizard, you are paying the compensation!"

"Don't tell me you're afraid of a Dimensional Wizard? It's not like he can take your soul," Sebastian taunted as he flung more dishes at Van Bogart. Grell was amazed at how such a muscular, older man, like Van Bogart, could move so quick. Quick enough to almost avoid a demon.

"Yeah, right, they only check souls out like library books," Grell grumbled.

Grell then noticed the Undertaker was engaging the Midford men's swords now. The mortician snarled towards Ciel's relatives, "Van Bogart's mine to take care of. Back off!"

It dawned on Grell that the Undertaker was about to violate another taboo among grim reaper kind: he planned on killing someone not listed in his book.

"Get out of here, now, Grell! And keep them warm!" Sebastian ordered and hurled more plates at Van Bogart. Grell gritted his teeth and dragged the two teens out by the back of their collars.

Dang it if Sebastian wasn't probably the perfect lay. After all, he had collected that tiger tamer girl's cinematic record and seen that steamy night. He was going to start demanding payment on these favors. He leaped out the window the Undertaker had broken and ran off into the snowy, dawn landscape, dragging the two teens with him.

* * *

Bard came down with a smoldering heap of metal that once looked like a human woman. Mey-rin's smoldering heap was letting off a foul odor. Both Phantomhive servants were in battle mode. Tanaka was coming down with a broken, clockwork doll, as well. Mey-rin and Bard were armed and ready, and, well, Tanaka didn't need weapons.

Ciel was pleased to see his servants do their job, but he wasn't happy to see two of his servants kidnapped at Sebastian's behest by that redheaded buffoon, Grell Sutcliff. Arg! Then Lizzy showed up. She was carrying a stuffed Bitter Rabbit in one arm and sword in her other hand. He was about to stop her, but she charged down the staircase to help her brother and father.

More gunfire, this time from Mey-rin and Bardroy. Van Bogart knew he was outnumbered now, by a lot. "Damn it! You'll pay for destroying my girls!"

Pluto bounded in through the broken window and deposited another clockwork robot at Sebastian's feet. The hell-hound had a bloodied nose, but had done his job. That clockwork robot rose to her feet, avoided Bardroy's bullet, and joined Van Bogart's side. She drew her own pistol, sweeping the room with gun fire and an empty-eyed expression.

"Come on, Venus! Time to leave. We have another job to do."

With that, Van Bogart left into the bright Christmas dawn, the damaged clockwork robot at his side. The other one, he called Helen, was waiting at the broken window. They were gone in a flash, and Aunt Frances was was furious.

Ciel noticed the Undertaker tip his hat and leave when Sebastian went after the mortician with flatware. Bard and Mey-rin were giving each other baffled expression as the Midfords stood down.

Ciel sank to his rump on the stairs and muttered, "What a mess."

There was a sudden knock at the front door that jarred all the harried fighters. It was Sebastian that smoothed out his tailcoat and greeted the short, Japanese visitor. "I saw something happening. I hope I'm not interfering," he said in near perfect English.

"Not at all. Come in, Doctor Kozumi. We've been waiting."

Kozumi looked over Sebastian's bowed shoulder and said, "Ah, Cousin Ryu! Great to see you!"

"Cousin Akira, nice to see you, too... ho...ho..." Tanaka started and then deflated into his weak state. Mey-rin and Bard sighed and shook their heads. Now wasn't the time, and Ciel agreed, but the man would always have a place at Phantomhive manor.

Kozumi shook his head and said, "Always like that. Well, let me see about helping your fellow servant."

"Unfortunately, Sebastian let my servant get absconded!" Ciel snarled, waving a balled up fist.

"Don't worry, young master," Sebastian said with a charming smile, "Grell, for all his many... many... many flaws, will do as I request." The butler then turned to Kozumi. "Please join me in the study while my master spends a few minutes with his relatives. Bard, Mey-rin!"

"Yes, Sir!" they both said, giving Sebastian determined expressions. "Gather up Snake's friends and deposit them in the hothouse. Then deal with the window. Hurry up now, before any of them come to harm. And do," then Sebastian gave them a glare, "please hurry."

Bard sank to the floor wailing, while Mey-rin loudly sighed in dismay. They did comply, though, all for Finny's sake.

* * *

"Wow, what is this place?" Finny asked as they walked down huge, marble hallways. "This Fai person? He lived here? Was he a servant here?"

"No, it's his father's castle. He was raised here by his adoptive father, King Ashura. He was a king that loved his son in an extreme way. He started killing his own people to save Fai from a curse. Fai found that to be monstrous so he left the man."

Finny shivered and agreed, "It is monstrous to kill people." Then Finny's shoulders slumped and he frowned. He couldn't do anything else feeling so guilty. He murmured, "I should know."

"Fai didn't know better about what his father was doing. He loved what he knew as his father a great deal and desired to find a way to revive his deceased twin brother. However, as your young master Ciel knows, once something is lost, it is never regained. Keep that in mind. One of the foremost thing that can never be regained when it is lost is innocence."

Finny felt a wave of sorrow come over him. He asked Watanuki, "Then is there nothing in life but loss?"

Watanuki shook his head and gave him a genial smile. "Not at all. Through loss, you gain. Balance must always exist. Think about what you gained by killing S-013."

Finny felt sick at the idea, but something came to his mind quickly. "Master Ciel. He gave me a home and a new life. If it wasn't for Sebastian rescuing me when he did, they would have killed me after S-013 was dead. They gave me a drug at the end, but it was only to see if... if... if I'd live or DIE!

"They wanted me to be strong and tough and be a soldier! I wasn't meant to be any of those things! But I have to be because they made me into those things... I didn't want it! I have to now, for the earl's sake, and I gladly do it for him. I'll be his soldier for the earl to the end of my days." Finny took a deep, labored breath and said, "What happened to all the R Gruppe? Die Weissenschaffler made us in the S Gruppe kill the left over three from R Gruppe."

The empty castle was filled with the echoing shout "Ashura!" over and and over, interrupting their conversation. Finny looked around and saw the young, blond child as he ran through the hallways. A dark-haired man came from a side room and scooped up the child. He calmed and cuddled the small child.

"Yuui! I'm here for you!" The man said, cuddling the child.

"No! I'm Fai, Fai, Fai, Fai, Fai! Stop calling me that name or I'll hate you forever!" the child insisted in a violent tantrum trying to strike the man with long, black hair.

"Okay! You're Fai. I'll let you be Fai, but one day, you'll have to be Yuui again. You've lost him, your twin, the person you're the most connected with, but..." the dark haired man teared up and embraced the child tightly. "...I've hoped you've considered gaining me as your father."

The little boy's face furrowed and he flung his arms around King Ashura. "I'm sorry! I love you! Please don't send me back there!"

Finny shivered when he saw the king's eyes. The emotion they conveyed wasn't natural. Yes, Ashura's brown eyes looked soft, but there was a nasty emptiness behind them. "I'd never send you back there. I'm trying so hard to find a way to keep us together. My dream is to give you Celes after me."

"But..."

Then the dream shifted and the little boy Fai was now a man. Finny could see King Ashura imprisoned at the bottom of a pool of water. Fai had cast a spell and sent himself elsewhere, outside of Celes in a whoosh of pink magic.

Watanuki sighed and said, "I remember that day. Yuuko-san taught me to scry on that day."

Finny swirled and asked, "What happened to Fai?"

Watanuki snickered and said, "He met the love of his life a few minutes after he sent himself to the wish shop. He was unaware of that at the time, and tried to make the man an enemy. Fai gained his lover by losing his father. It was hard, but he had to choose blindly.

"I don't think you're accustomed to making such decisions, but sometimes they have to be made." Watanuki gave him a pat on the shoulder as the background changed back to the pink orchard. "Just relax in my dream for a while."

Finny felt so burdened, now. He just nodded and felt himself fall into a deep sleep against Watanuki's arm.

To be continued.


End file.
